The Untold Story
by Equatic Puzzle
Summary: (Post HBP) Hermione is left behind at Hogwarts. However, the fall of the school forces her to leave and head to safer grounds. With patrolling Death Eaters, dangerous terrains, and unknown creatures that are immune to magic, Hermione is forced to seek the aid of her arch nemesis, Draco. Will they be able to coexist together and survive this treacherous journey?
1. Chapter 1

**The Untold Story**

Hello readers, I thank you for taking the time to read this work of fiction from the mind of this humble author. Now, before you get started on reading this, if you are looking for any fast shipping/courtship with heart fluttering moments that would make a sensible person go 'aw'...then you've come to the wrong place.

However, what I do offer to the readers is a chance to watch two polar opposites grow and learn to survive in a harsh, war-torn environment. And of course a grand adventure with tons of delicious plots and drama thrown in together!

Anyways, please enjoy!

 **Disclaimer** : I don't own Harry Potter, someone else by the name of JK Rowling does, now leave me alone.

* * *

 **[So, tell me the story behind these two wands]**

 _"There he is! Don't let him get away!"_

 _Draco frantically scrambled to his feet before he hit the street running._

 _His feet pounded the pavement, with his thighs burning in exertion. A small bead of sweat was trickling down the side of his face. His ribs felt extremely sore, most likely bruised or even broken from a previous scuffle. A stray arrow bounced off of the burnt ruins of what looked to be a shop. He heard the triumphant sneers of his pursuers increasing in volume._

 _The familiar shades of a black robe fluttered within his peripherals._

 _Draco spat out some blood and cursed under his breath. Staggering over some rubble, the blonde went slip-sliding through the dried pools of blood and waste piled beneath him. The unsteady feel of concrete nipped at his shins through his boots. His feet plunged through a muddy puddle, the depth of it being deeper than he first had perceived. A hidden length of jagged debris caught him mid-stride, momentum pushed him downward, and the blonde went sprawling across the pavement._

 _Draco dove face first and kissed the cold, hard ground._

 _His breathing started to become shorter. Pain was cutting off his oxygen, and his thoughts began to stray towards dangerous territory._

 _Darkness enveloped him._

 _With each passing second, the voices of his pursuers rattled louder in his skull. They were getting far too close for comfort, and a small bell of panic began to ring in his head._

 _Draco managed to bring himself back to consciousness._

 _A huge explosion vibrated the ground beneath him._

 _Biting his lower lip, the blonde snarled at himself to start moving again. Draco managed to forcibly haul himself back on his feet, leaving a bloody print of his head on the floor. He groggily stumbled over a pile of marble and glass, most likely the expensive remains of a statue. His vision began to blur, and spots danced in his vision while the streets swirled out of focus. A bright red curse zipped past him and hit a collapsed building._

 _"You fool! Why did you cast that curse just now?"_

 _"I thought I would be able to get him from here!"_

 _Draco smirked and spat out red-streaked saliva. Wiping his lips with the sleeves of his own robes, the blonde hurriedly staggered away from the streets. The sounds of pain and fear followed him down the dark alleyway as the unruly creatures pounced on the retreating figures of the Death Eaters._

 _THUMP!_

Draco clumsily fell to the floor and brandished his wand, while looking around the room in confusion. One moment he had been running from a group of Death Eaters and the next...

Right.

He had decided to take a quick nap after arriving at the meeting location, but it didn't help that he had just been dreaming about the previous encounter. Even though this was a person he used to trust in the past, the war had a funny way of changing people. He needed some semblance of control so that he would not be caught off guard by anything – even a betrayal.

Letting out another yawn, Draco shook his head and rolled to one of the empty spots near the wall. His body still felt a bit weak. He was going to get as much rest as he could before he had to take action again.

* * *

 **[What happened at Hogwarts?]**

Hermione Granger.

A girl that, if it was not for Harry Potter's existence, would have become the frontrunner for the holder of the most titles given to her.

The wonder witch.  
The Gryffindor Princess.  
The brains of the golden trio.  
The cleverest witch of her generation. **[I heard this one before...]**

However, she also had a damning epithet that would stick with her until the end of time.

A Muggle-born.

Hermione let out a sigh as she felt her eyes linger on the book with no real focus toward the details. There was so much going on in the world, and here she was inside Hogwarts, staring at a textbook. She felt utterly trapped and useless about her current situation.

It also didn't help that, due to her inclination to prioritize her studies, her social skills had been stunted. She sometimes wondered if she would receive a bit more respect for her cognitive ability if she was of the opposite sex. There were those that were in the same camp as Hermione was—except they were born with a different set of genitalia. She felt fortunate enough to have gained a lifelong friendship bond with both Ron and Harry.

It was these bittersweet thoughts that led her straight to a truth that put her in this predicament; they had abandoned her. Technically, Hermione had consented to stay behind at Hogwarts while her two boys went hunting for the Horcruxes, only for the reason that she should stabilize an unsteady school situation. However, she should've never allowed any of them to persuade her, soften her stance, and change her mind.

She could still remember most of the memories behind the particular day, it had started like any other conference for Order members...

 _ **[FLASHBACK]**_

 _Ron poked his head into the library and rolled his eyes when he spotted the girl that he was trying to locate up to her usual activity. Hiding behind one of the shelves, he took out his wand and carefully aimed it at one of the unattended books before quietly casting a Floating Charm on it. When he didn't see her visibly react to the floating object, he counted down from five before slamming it back down on the table. Seeing the bibliophilic witch jump in surprise, he took that as his cue to finish the small prank that he had started._

 _He soon paled when he heard Hermione speak up first._

 _"Look, Fred, I already told you that I'll polish your wand after I'm done studying this section, and if you really can't wait that long, then I'll just go and do George first for being patient!"_

 _Ron froze at this implication and let his arms drop to his side before stuttering out, "Y-you're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding, Hermione."_

 _"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, putting down the quill that she was using. "You should stop being so paranoid about our relationship, and were you really thinking that I would be unfaithful to you with both of your brothers?"_

 _"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at his partner for a second._

 _Adjusting his position, he tried to sweep around to give her a kiss on the cheek. Unfortunately, the witch's attention was drawn elsewhere, causing Ron to completely miss his initial mark. Not wanting to simmer in his embarrassment, he quickly recovered by using the momentum to carry himself over to where Hermione's book was stationed and pretended to be interested in the topic._

 _"So, reading more about the Founders, huh? I don't think reading about history'll help us fight You-Know-Who."_

 _"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Ron," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms, "I already saw it, so stop pretending that it didn't happen. I know you aren't interested in what I'm reading at all."_

 _Ron waved his hand in front of his face and replied, "What? Who says I'm not? Maybe it's the reason that I missed because I got distracted by your book."_

 _"Ron..."_

 _"I mean sure, I've never shown much interest in the past, and I've always preferred Quidditch over studying..."_

 _"Ron..."_

 _"...and I know I'm not the smartest bloke around town. But I'll be damned if I don't start showing some care about the things that my girl—"_

 _"Ronald Bilius Weasley!"_

 _This immediately quieted the ranting teenager, giving Hermione a chance to hold her friend's hands. "Look, you don't have to worry about me, and you certainly don't have to be so paranoid about yourself, alright? I chose you because of who you are and not for anything else."_

 _"Sorry, Hermione," Ron answered, taking in a deep breath before continuing, "Yeah, I definitely am your friend because you're you. It's just...I don't, I mean, I'm not doing it on purpose, you know? I mean, you mean a lot to me and, Harry as well, and uh..."_

 _There was an air of awkward tension between the two as they stared at each other in silence. It broke when Hermione giggled out loud, playfully swatting her friend's shoulder._

 _"Oh, you can be such a suave with words, Ron. I could definitely melt into your arms just by listening to you serenade me for hours."_

 _"Huh?"_

 _Hermione rolled her eyes at his typical response. "I don't know why the Sorting Hat failed to place you in Ravenclaw with your impressive usage of vocabulary and your obvious thirst for knowledge." She tugged at the young man's arms. "Come on, I'm sure you didn't come here just to bother me, right? Lead the way, my good sir."_

 _Ron was able to regain his wit and linked their arms together, leading them out of the library. The two talked about pleasant nothings as they made their way out into the hallways and stepped around the staircase. The two stopped in front of the gargoyle and fed the password to the stone guardian, giving them permission to enter the office. When they entered the Headmaster's office, the two of them were greeted by a few familiar faces: Lupin, Arthur Weasley, McGonagall, and Harry._

 _"I think everyone's here now," Lupin wistfully said, keeping his eyes attached to a loose piece of parchment on the table._

 _Hermione inquisitively looked at Ron and tilted her head while asking him, "We had an Order meeting today? Was there a change in plans or something?"_

 _Before Ron was given a chance to reply, a pink-haired Auror stepped through the door and boisterously made her entrance felt by the rest of the office. "Sorry I'm late! I've been really busy with all the recent attacks by the Death Eaters and the lack of manpower or support from the Ministry. We really have our hands tied and full nowadays."_

 _Arthur shook his head, "It's alright, Tonks, we understand the pressure that you guys are under, and we didn't start the meeting yet anyway."_

 _The pink-haired Auror nodded and greeted each person individually before situating herself into one of the corners. Once everyone had finally settled down, Lupin cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Now, the reason that this meeting has been called is due to the issue that was alluded to earlier by Nymphadora..."_

 _"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," Tonks swiftly corrected him._

 _"...the increased activities of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters._

 _Arthur nodded, taking his turn, "I've been keeping my ears to the ground, but with how chaotic and unstable everything's been, it's impossible for me to gain any sort of useful information. I would say that it's only a matter of time before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named either completely takes over or topples the Ministry._

 _A round of sighs and restless murmurings could be heard coming from the participants of the meeting. Finally, McGonagall came forward and addressed the group, "I believe Mister Potter has something that he wanted to share with us."_

 _Taking this to be his cue, Harry fixed his glasses and coughed into his hands, "W-well, as everyone knows, the three of us, Ron, Hermione and I, have been doing a lot of research while making plans on ways to defeat Lord Vol- I mean, the Dark Lord. Based on the information that I got from Dumbledore, I think we're ready to make our move."_

 _The silent confidence that Harry ended his statement with all but convinced every person of his determination. This meant that they were either going to support his endeavors or get out of his way, since they would not be able to stop him._

 _"Harry," the Weasley patriarch hesitantly called out. "I know that it was from Dumbledore's instructions for you not to reveal whatever it is that you've set out to do. But don't you think it would be safer for you to at least tell someone other than Hermione and my son?"_

 _"Dad!"_

 _"Mr. Weasley?"_

 _Before the two aforementioned teens were able to voice their protest, Harry stared directly into Arthur's eyes and spoke, "Even though the Headmaster isn't present any longer, I will keep his final commands." He then nodded at his two friends while adding, "I also trust them with my life, sir, so it won't be a problem."_

 _Lupin let out a sigh and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "It seems like he isn't going to budge on this, no matter what we say."_

 _"I know that, but...I just wish there was something more we could do Remus."_

 _Harry shook his head and turned to face the others. "Look, rather than continue fighting over this issue, we should take action as soon as we can. The Dark Lord is still playing it safe and allowing his followers to do most of his work." Walking to the middle, he nodded and continued speaking, "We should strike now while we still have this small window of opportunity. They won't be expecting us to go on the offensive, so this is a strategic blind spot that we are hoping to exploit."_

 _Grinning at the words coming from his best friend, Ron spoke up, "We've mapped out all the possible locations that we are going to search and also the best routes to get to them."_

 _Hermione smoothly followed it up, "With all the information that's been gathered the past few days, we've been able to draw up all the potential areas that the Death Eaters will be attacking."_

 _"It's a risky move, but right now they'll still be under the belief that I'll be here, getting guarded by the Order and merely defending against these attacks until the time for the inevitable encounter comes." He shook his head and tightly balled his hand into a fist. "I'm not going to stand by and let others dictate my life any longer. Since this is my battle now, I'm going to fight them the way I want to."_

 _It became apparent from both the lack of any disapproving arguments and people's upbeat, positive body language that they were willing to pin their hopes upon this risky plan. A small chatter of excitement began to build up in the room, with everyone attempting to have some type of impact or input on what the three were going to do._

 _In the midst of all the commotion, McGonagall quietly walked up to her most prized student and gave her a look that informed her that she wanted to speak with her privately. The two quietly walked out of the office, leaving behind the rambunctious chatter._

 _"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Professor?"_

 _Taking a deep breath, the former Transfiguration teacher told her, "Ms. Granger, I have a request to make of you."_

 _Hermione blinked a few times before leaning in closer and asked in a worried tone, "What is it that you need help with? You know that I'll do anything to assist you, Professor."_

 _A listless sigh came out from McGonagall's lips, her facial features aging with every breath that she took. Closing her eyes, she nodded and responded, "Hermione, I know that you have been planning this journey for quite some time now. But..."_

 _"Professor?"_

 _"As you are well aware, morale in Hogwarts has been on the decline with students living in constant fear of the upcoming war. One of the few reasons why it hasn't been a complete disaster here inside the school is because of you, Harry, and Ron."_

 _Hermione crossed her arms and diverted her eyes away from McGonagall. She had a feeling she knew where this was going and dreaded the words that were going to leave her mouth._

 _"For the sake of creating the perception of a safe environment inside of these walls-" She walked over to Hermione and lightly grasped her arm. "-I implore you to forego this journey and stay here with me."_

 _The bushy-haired witch went through a wide range of emotions before settling upon that of resignation. Even if it wasn't said, the underlying message was there, and she couldn't ignore it. Letting out a sigh, she nodded before softly murmuring, "I'll have to tell Ron and Harry about this decision so that I can help them plan out a different route without me."_

 _"That's wonderful Ms. Granger! I thank you for making this choice, I know it must be quite difficult for you..."_

 _When Hermione went to relay this to her two best friends, the news was immediately met with anger and disbelief. After an elongated discussion and explanation in regards to her decision, both Harry and Ron eventually relented. However, even with all the alterations that she tried to offer them, it was clear that they would be at a huge disadvantage without her._

 _It pained her to see the silhouettes of her friends on the day that they had set out to leave._

 _ **[END OF FLASHBACK]**_

Hermione bit her lower lip, conveniently skipping over the caustic fight that she had with both of them before stuffing the memory back into her mind, allowing herself to focus once again on the present.

There were times when she wondered if their little ragtag group had made the right decision in splitting up. Yes, she had given her former Head of House all the support that she could and even volunteered to continue being a Prefect and a Head Girl.

But when times were bad, it tended to distract you from everything else. Hermione found all of her classes becoming meaningless in the face of the inevitability: the upcoming war. It appeared as though every other student was feeling the same. The gravity of such imminence lingered at the tip of every person's mind.

Just looking at the students, at least the ones that had returned to Hogwarts, awkwardly attempting to get through school, was just another painful reminder of the current situation. Nobody bothered to put up a brave front as all of them scattered about, moving in a robotic manner and speaking in demoralized tones.

The present Headmistress tried her best to keep things at a familiar and consistent level: classes were held, Quidditch was played, and a sleuth of other school-like activities continued. There were even attempts at planning out trips to Hogsmeade.

Keyword: Tried.  
Result: Failed.

Just about everything seemed pointless. Two events had simultaneously transpired to drain and shatter the spirits of those that attended Hogwarts. The first was how the school's wards had been breached by the Death Eaters—effectively erasing the term 'sanctuary' for those that warranted it. The second was the murder of Dumbledore—destroying the only wizard that could've held back Voldemort.

Was the other side so blind towards this superficial cause that they were willing to give up everything just to see their hateful prejudice come to fruition? Could they not see the everlasting damage that this war would have on the magical community? Hermione knew that no matter who won the war, there would be a long road of recovery ahead.

If it would ever be possible.

The ugly prejudices that many of the old families harbored had fully manifested themselves with the revival of the Dark Lord. Even if the light side were to win this exhaustive battle, there was no possible way that things could, or would, go back to what they were before.

Hermione sighed as she tried to get back to her research, but she knew that her efforts would end in futility. Her eyes had not left the first sentence of the paragraph for the past hour, informing her that it was time for her to do something else. Putting the textbook away, the bushy-haired witch decided to visit one of the professors to inquire if they were in need of assistance.

* * *

 _Draco steadily leaned himself against the large debris, making sure to blend in with the dark cover. All it took was one mistake for him to blow his cover. The worst part about the fiasco was the fact that he was still unaware of the error that he had committed. Still, even with the plan going awry, it wasn't a complete loss for him. There was a reason why a group of hostile were currently chasing him._

 _"Let's see, a group of lowly Death Eater recruits, which means that they most likely have a low patience threshold. If I'm reading this right, then they'll move on to the next area in three...two...one..."_

 _"He's not here, that thief must've moved on to another location. Let's keep going!"_

 _Draco watched his pursuers abandon their current search to try their luck in the next area. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the blonde slumped down onto the granite floor. Rolling his head in a circular motion, he took out a small, brown bag from his robes and peered into it._

 _"What's this..." Draco mumbled, confused by the contents that he had uncovered. They were all magazines, but none of them held titles that he was familiar with. "Fiesta? Knave? Razzle? Why would they be in such a tizzy over these? Do they hold some kind of big secret...?"_

 _Casually flipping open one of the pictorial digests, Draco was completely unprepared for the exotic images to bombard his sight. Flushing in embarrassment, he quickly slammed it shut and averted his from the less-than-proper material. He wasn't a naïve virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but the very idea that this was what they were trying to guard baffled him. However, rather than discard the magazines, he discreetly kept some of them._

 _"There has to be a reason why these things were highly valued, I'll have to do a bit more research to see what it could be."_

 _Softly yawning, Draco looked up at the sky while shaking his head. It was a horrid, monochromatic pitch black that did not hint at clearing anytime soon. The tight and almost suffocating atmosphere seemed to match the bleak and dreadful predicament that the Wizarding World was suffering from. Few, if any major cities escaped unscathed by the ruination of the grand scale battles._

 _Draco suddenly keeled over while clutching at the inner part of his left arm, hissing a low profanity under his breath. Usually, the pain arrived in the form of a dull ache, one that he could simply ignore from all the adrenaline that would subsequently course through his body. However, this time it was overwhelming him to the point where it was effectively blocking out his other senses. It was impossible for him to overlook it. The blonde continued to clamp down on the afflicted arm when he felt it start to involuntarily tremble. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to summon the mental discipline he'd learned from Occlumency to calm his mind_ _ **;**_ _which unfortunately didn't seem to work. He grimaced at the realization that the source of agony was causing him enough torment that it was starting to overtake his consciousness._

 _Pain relief topped Draco's priority list with the extreme amount of discomfort becoming increasingly unbearable. He did have an emergency potion available but due to its limited quantity and the distance he still had to traverse, he resisted the temptation to use it. Still, that didn't help his current situation in which he was struggling to cope with the pain._

 _Draco grimaced when he realized just how vulnerable he was in this weakened state. If another person, one that was cognizant of his status, were to stumble upon him, then the likely scenario would be his immediate capture or death. Neither option appealed to his sensibility._

 _Taking a look around, Draco noticed a capsized cart on the side of the road and made his decision. Rolling up the left sleeve of his black robe, he tore off a piece of his worn-out shirt before tightly wounding it around his exposed forearm. Feeling his limb become numb, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slamming it against the toppled wagon. He groaned in pain while dragging his arm across the sharp edges._

 _"Merlin," Draco had hoped that the shock from his self-inflicted wound would somehow counteract the one that was bothering him. But, the only thing that he managed to accomplish was the furtherment of more pain. The spasms were getting worse and he was running out of options. Was he really going to let everything end like this?_

 _"No," he shook his head, "I'm not going to let myself be turned into one of those mindless sycophants! But...Snape told me...? What did he say...?"_

 _His mind was in shambles._

 _It was becoming excruciatingly intolerable._

 _Draco let out a low, guttural cry before blindingly bashing his head onto whatever was nearby. For some unfathomable reason, the concussive blow was enough to dull the excruciating pain. The throbbing spasms had subsided to a more bearable level while his senses were slowly returning to normalcy._

 _Why did it work? The only response that Draco could give was a nonchalant shrug._

 _Ever since he trekked across Magical Britain, all in an effort to survive, Draco had made one rash decision after another. He had learned early on that there would be times when it was better to act first, ask questions never. A short yawn escaped from the back of his head while he leaned against a dull surface to help stabilize his balance._

 _ **Drip Drip**_

 _"Hm? Is it raining right now?" Draco scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should find cover and soon. The blonde's eyes meandered towards the sky and saw the same pitch black void stare back at him. It indicated emptiness and revealed nothing- or maybe that was just an imagination from the depths of his subconscious._

 _ **Drip Drip**_

 _This time he looked down and saw that the droplets was not water, but rather blood. Tracing his fingers up to the source, he could vaguely guess that a gash had formed around his forehead. A small frown entered his face before conceding that fact that the wound was a small price to pay._

 _"Hey, did you hear?"_

 _"What's up?"_

 _Draco closed his eyes while shaking his head. He found it unbelievable just how bad his luck appeared to be during this recent stretch of his life. The only silver lining he could find was that neither of the speakers had noticed his presence. This most likely meant that they were merely halting to have a conversation._

 _Wiping some of the blood off his face, Draco calmed his heartbeat and silenced his breathing before knotting some of the loose laces from his boots. Licking his dry lips, he then steadily inched closer to where he heard the discussion taking place. It had been a while since he had heard of any news, so any helpful information that he could get hold of was a welcome addition to his ears._

 _"They said that the war is coming to an end and that the Dark Lord knows where the golden boy is hiding. So it's only a matter of time before they find him and eliminate him."_

 _Hearing those words used in that specific tone brought back memories of a time when dodging mortality was not at the top of his priority list. If the circumstances were different, and he had heard the same statement being uttered in his presence, then there was a good chance that he would've joined them in agreement – heck, he might've been one of the loud-mouth braggarts to lead the boisterous declaration._

 _Now?_

 _"War really does change a person…" Draco bitterly thought, mentally cringing at the recollection of his sophomoric behavior._

 _The death of Dumbledore, the escape from Hogwarts, the death sentence from the dark, the hefty bounty from the light_ _ **,**_ _the harsh slap of reality_ _ **–**_ _all of this predicated on the choice that he did not – no, could not make. However, even with such knowledge at hand, the nightmares did not lessen, making the prospect of a peaceful slumber a luxury._

 _Knowing that the rest of the talk would be nothing more than gossip, Draco tuned them out from his mind. Now that he was ready to move again, he would need to clear the path. While he could technically try to sneak by them, there was a chance that he could be spotted along the way. It was a lot safer for him to minimalize all possible risks than to pretend that he had an invisible cloak at hand._

 _Scanning the area, Draco spotted an unusually heavy looking rock from the corner of his eyes. Picking it up, he felt nothing abnormal radiating from the stone. The only thing noteworthy was how the smooth surface felt unnaturally rough against his callused fingers. Not having any viable reason for holding onto it, he cocked his arm back and launched it as far as he could to the opposite direction of where the patrol unit was having their conversation._

 _"I heard something! It came from over there!"_

 _Much to Draco's surprise, the rock he had thrown somehow caught their attention. Not wanting to press his luck, he continued to stay hidden while observing the two to get a gauge upon when the coast would be clear. It seemed like they were angrily arguing over something, with plenty of pointing and hand gestures flying around until they came to some type of agreement. This was evident by them nodding to each other before they headed towards the location of the sound. Watching them leave the premise, he quickly popped out from his hiding spot and hunched down into a low stance before moving onto the next sector._

 _"Alright, what do we have here?" Draco muttered to himself in a low voice._

 _Ducking behind a broken wall, he rapidly scouted the area, mentally creating a map of his surroundings and the nearby Death Eaters. From what he had seen, he was able to ascertain the status of the patrol unit simply from its use of magic – or lack thereof. While there was no restriction on the usage of spells, there were certain unfavorable conditions that came upon the one that had done the casting. Unless the user was powerful and confident enough in their abilities, it was agreed upon that people would simply limit their usage within safely warded parameters._

 _It was downright humiliating at times to act like a Muggle, but when lives were at stake, none of it mattered._

 _Assessing all of the information that he had gathered, Draco knew that all of these Death Eaters were either new entry recruits or low-level grunts. Their patrol routes were predictable and they wouldn't be able to use any spells. Carefully watching the nearby guard, he waited until the person's back was turned before maneuvering around some giants craters and loose debris. He made sure to keep his physical presence hidden as much as possible, ducking and hiding behind large covers so that there would be a lower risk of being discovered by any roaming eyes._

 _Spotting an empty but standing building off to the side, Draco quickly made his way to the entrance and poked his head around to do a quick sweep. Aside from the usual collateral damage that everything had suffered during this tragic war, it didn't look worse for the wear. It was definitely safe enough to go in and catch a breather for a second. Sighing in relief, he rubbed the back of his head while leaning against the sturdy foundation._

 _"If the Dark Lord wins the war, will he clean up and repair cities like these?" Draco let out a small sigh and shook his head at the absurd thought that had passed his mind. Opening up his robe, he took out a small, brown satchel and began to do an inventory check when he heard an unfamiliar voice speak up from behind him._

 _"Who goes there?" Draco held his guard while pointing his wand at the location of the speaker._

 _"I mean no harm to you, good sir," a man wearing the garbs of those that were given to label of a merchant stepped forward from the shadows. The aforementioned clothing was essentially a nondescript grey robe with a matching pair of inoffensively drab sweats. Most of them tended to carry their commodities in a giant bag that they carried on their back, this one was no exception._

 _Draco rubbed the back of his neck and grumbled back, "Don't sneak up on people like that, merchant. Anyways, what do you have in stock today?"_

 _"Ah, my mistake," the merchant raised his arms in front of his body and replied with a thick southern accent. "I'm afraid I cannot show you anything right now because if I were you, I would leave this building as soon as possible."_

 _Without further explanation, the seller tapped Draco on the shoulder and made his exit. Before the blonde could ask what he meant by the warning, he heard a low growl coming from the dark hallway. Understanding the implications behind the merchant's warning, he immediately got up to his feet and followed suit. There was no chance he was going to wait around to see what kind of creature lay hidden within the dark depths of the empty building._

 _Pulling up his hood once again, Draco went back onto the streets. He coughed into the folds of his elbow and wiped his mouth off of the sleeves of the robe. It had been quite a journey thus far, but until he was able to reach the meeting point, he knew that resting would not be a viable option. Exhaling sharply, he began sprinting at a brisk pace, gaining quite a good distance before the depletion of his stamina._

 _Leaning against a broken pillar for support, Draco used the moment to catch his breath and calm his nerves. It was times like this that made him realize just how much he took for granted. Did Muggles really go through life using their feet? The only reason why he was unable to use any of the magical transportation systems was due to his criminal status. Otherwise, traveling in such a manner was beyond his comprehension. It was so inefficient and time-consuming, how did they ever get anything accomplished?_

 _Feeling some life return to his body, Draco investigated the new area that he had entered. He immediately noticed a few interesting things about the sector. The first was that there was only a single Death Eater patrolling the entire place. Secondly, the specific route that the grunt was taking informed him that he was guarding something important – most likely an entrance of some kind. If this was the case, then it meant that the building behind the person had residents inside of it and was considered a pit stop or safe zone for the city's remaining residents._

 _"Now, the only question is, if it's so important, why would they only just one person here by themselves? Shouldn't there be an entire group?" Draco thought to himself while he surveyed the edifice. The answer came when he spotted a few marks alongside the building. By all indications, this meant that there were runes and magical wards installed somewhere around the parameter. Even if he was unable to identify them, he was willing to stake his life that they were some of the highest security systems in place._

 _Forcing entry into the building would be an impossible task._

 _Rubbing his chin, Draco began planning for a different course of action when he spotted a giant poster. It was an enlarged picture of Potter with an 'X' marked over his head and a statement on the bottom written 'Most Wanted: Dead or Alive!' The thing that caught his attention was a small encrypted insignia at the bottom right corner. To most, it would look like harmless graffiti, but to him, it held a bigger significance._

 _Resisting the urge to yawn, Draco pulled out a tattered scroll from the sleeve of his robe and unrolled it. Taking a look at the map, he shakily traced his fingers along a path until he came across what was specifically marked 'meeting point'. Closing his eyes and muttering an insult under his breath, he recalled the vague instructions that he was given about the aforementioned location. All he could do was chuckle mirthless while shaking his head in amazement._

 _"Alright, I found Potter's poster with the sign, just like he said I would. Now I have to gain access to that bloody building."_

 _Even with the objective in mind, Draco had to admit that he didn't see any potential openings he could exploit to get inside the sanctuary. There were a few scenarios that he tried to theorize in his mind, none of them giving him any guarantees on succeeding. However, the answer came to him soon enough when the individual patrolling the streets unveiled his left forearm and idly scratched at the tell-tale design of the dark mark. His eyes immediately flashed in recognition at the pattern that was attached to the symbol. Scanning the area, he was able to spot a very familiar looking ward that he had come across in his past escapades._

 _Studying it for a few minutes, Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him. While he didn't recognize many of the inscribed security measures, there was one that he knew would help him give entrance into the building. It was one that granted temporary 'permission' to those that were keyed into the wards. He wagered that the guard's mark was keyed in so that it would disarm the wards long enough to allow him through the door._

 _Only one problem remained, which was to get the Death Eater to cooperate with him._

" _Sure, sounds simple enough. Let me just stroll up to him and ask if he'll let me in." Rolling his eyes at his own foolish suggestion, he shrugged before adding, "I would probably have an easier time convincing Pansy to stop gossiping about the latest edition of Witch's Weekly."_

 _Inwardly sighing, Draco shoved his hand into his robe, trying to formulate a viable plan when he felt something scrape his knuckle. Blinking a few times in confusion, the blonde took hold of the object and took it out from the pocket._

 _It was the 'treasure' that he had pilfered from the previous group._

 _Draco let out an exasperated sigh and proceeded to discard the garbage when a crazy idea slipped into his mind. He gave pause and shook his head in disbelief at the very notion that he was not only about to entertain the thought, but also try his hand at executing it. He let out a sigh and buried his face into his fingers. With how things had been unraveled for him in the past, he never really had a choice in the matter, did he?_

 _With a pseudo-new plan readily available, Draco carefully walked towards the guard and stopped a few yards short of his vision. Carefully rolling up the lewd magazine, he made sure to toss it where the Death Eater might be able to spot it. He stared at the guard for a few seconds and blinked, wondering if his estimation was wrong. Looking around, he picked up an empty can and filled it with some loose stones before throwing it near the erotic pamphlet._

 _"Huh? What was that?" the Death Eater narrowed his eyes in suspicion and walked away from his post to investigate the noise. "This is..."_

 _As soon as Draco saw the Death Eater turn his attention to the magazine, the blonde immediately lunged forward from his hiding location and placed his opponent in a headlock. Using his right arm to hold the man's neck in place, he then shifted his body and placed his other one over his nose and mouth. He felt the body twitch a few times before lifelessly slumping in his hands._

 _This wasn't the appropriate time to rest. There were too many things to do and his window of opportunity was rather short. Dropping the unconscious body to the ground, Draco made sure to slip the Death Eater's robe off before putting it on himself. He then quickly transferred most of his belongings to black garb that he had donned. Squatting back down to the guard's body, the blonde carefully patted him down before finding the one item that he was looking for – the ration card._

 _Draco let out a yawn and stretched his arms into the air before lifting the unconscious body upon his shoulder. Dumping the Death Eater, he then grabbed the aforementioned person's arm before placing the dark mark against the access panel, temporarily disabling the intruder seeking wards and granting him permission for a limited time period. The Malfoy heir paused and closed his eyes, contemplating his next decision._

 _"I haven't cast a spell in a while, so I shouldn't suffer from any backlash." Draco let out a deep breath before picking up the fallen Death Eater's wand. Pointing it at the unconscious individual, he then used an Obliviate on him before disposing of the wooden stick. Nonchalantly shrugging, he calmly walked into the building before feeling the wards activate the security parameters again._

 _There was a reason why, even if they were in Magical Britain, most people placed a self-restricted taboo on the usage of magic. Even if, by some chance, the charm did not suppress the appropriate memory, the 'magic-punishing' creature would sniff out the remnants of the spell being used and quickly migrate to the area. These monsters that were labeled as 'Evolved' were not something that wizards were normally capable of handling. Blindly running into one without proper preparation would only lead to a fruitless death._

 _Shaking his head, the first thing that Draco noticed was that it was a very dark and musky area. The air hardly seemed clean and the atmosphere reminded him more of Knockturn Alley than a rest stop. He wasn't sure why, but he found it hard to get comfortable or to properly draw in breath. Swiping at the air in front of his face, he grimaced and took hold of his left forearm. Still, out of everything that they could've recreated or preserved, the people of this town had decided to pick a bar._

 _"A goddamn bloody pub? Well, a bit of shade and cover would do well for me I suppose…"_

 _Draco did his best to avoid any unnecessary contact with another person, keeping his head and posture low while hurrying over to the darkest and most isolated corner of the room. Letting out a sigh, he then brought over an unused stool and sat down upon it. It wasn't the most comfortable of settings, but it was better than what he had been doing the last couple of days – running._

 _After waiting and failing to detect his contact, Draco decided to take a breather and briefly rest on one of the unused rooms of the pub._

Draco let out a soft yawn and stretched his arms while cracking the tense muscles on the side of his neck. The nap had certainly done its job of reinvigorating his body and his spirit. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that nobody had come around to bother him, or even mug him during his brief period of inactivity. Even though he wanted to sleep a bit more, he knew that he had to start moving again. It was too dangerous for him to stay in one place for an elongated period of time.

Sneaking back to the main 'hub' area of the pub, Draco once again situated himself at the corner of a dark corner. Rubbing the back of his neck, the blonde looked around before crossing his arms while arching his back against a wall. He reached into his pocket and rummaged around before taking out a cigarette and shoved it into his mouth. If there was one thing he had to admit, it was that if the Muggles done anything right, then it was this thing that they called a smoke. These were one of the rare habits that he had managed to acquire from observing and emulating the Muggleborns. Kicking his feet back, he shuffled around for a lighter when he found his brief moment of reprieve being brought to a halt by a silky and familiar voice close to his ear.

"You're late, Mr. Malfoy."

Not wanting to take any more risks, Draco unsheathed his wand and pointed the tip of it at the speaker. Staring at the other man with a cool and calm demeanor, he collected his wits and responded, "Prove to me that you are who you say you are and not just someone who has morphed themselves to look like you, Snape."

"Very well," the former Potions professor replied as he nodded. "Though I hope you realize that this exercise is futile; if I were able to identify you from a distance, then I could've easily had you captured or disposed of – that is, if it were my intentions."

Snape saw that his godson was not moving an inch so he decided to give him the information that he wanted. "As I recall, you came up to my office and complained about being transformed into a ferret…"

"Enough," Draco hissed back as a light tint of red crept up to his cheeks. Clearing his head, he opened his mouth and was about to dispute the man's claims of his tardiness but thought better of it. There was no time for him to waste. "I lost track of time and had to avoid traveling on certain roads if I wanted to keep my head on my shoulders."

Not bothering to linger on the subject, Snape raised an eyebrow before commenting, "I'm surprised that you know what those are. Cigarettes Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged while he replied back, "It's much better than a calming drought..." pausing, he then added, "...tastes better too."

The two paused in their conversation when a few people passed by their position and only continued when they were left alone.

"So, how is my mother doing?"

"Draco," Snape began to say, steering the conversation to a different topic. "I believe I have a temporary solution for your troubles."

Draco knew that Snape was avoiding the question, but he knew that time was short and that there wasn't any time to spare for pleasantries. Still, it would've been nice to get an update on his family – especially his mother. Nodding, Draco motioned for him to continue.

"Come to Hogwarts with me," Snape said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Huh?" was the most intelligible response that Draco could come up with when he heard the answer. "Could you care to repeat that, because I could've sworn that my godfather was suggesting something absurd."

"I said for you to accompany me when I go to school."

"Yeah, I thought that's what you said and what I to ask you is, are you out of your bloody mind? Do you not remember what happened there?" Draco stopped himself before gritting his teeth and continued, "Well, no, of course you do, you were the one that performed it. But bloody hell, you think they'll just let you waltz right back in after everything you and I have done? You know that the Light is also out to capture me, right? Wait, is that what you were going to do? Was that your plan all along?"

As soon as he said this, Draco attempted to leave his seat but Snape swiftly grabbed him by the shoulder and shook his head. "You would do well to remember that we aren't exactly in the friendliest of places. Besides, do you not remember the oath that I swore to your mother? The pull of the spell is still ringing inside of me, so no; the thought of betraying you or abandoning you did not cross my mind."

When Draco sat back down on the stool, Snape pressed on further. "As I was saying, Hogwarts is considered a neutral ground by both the Light and Dark and it is still headed by McGonagall. Now, how long it will remain as such is a mystery even to me, but it would appear as though both the Dark Lord and the Light Side are in agreement to leave it alone."

The ex-potion professor then cocked an eyebrow, "I will go first to explain the situation and ensure your safety. The only thing you will have to do is most likely disarm yourself of your wand and cooperate with the forces that have taken residence inside of the school."

Draco scratched his head in frustration. There were so many questions going through his mind and it didn't help that it was Snape's instructions that he was following the entire time. He knew about his godfather being a double agent for both the Light and Dark, but, which side did he truly favor, he wondered. Was he merely being assisted and held in this position until he could be used to garner further support from either side?

Draco wanted to throw everything away, reject the proposal, and simply walk out of the dirty bar. However, he already knew that the decision was made for him, again, without his consent. Could he say that he truly had a choice in the first place? How long could he survive by trying to avoid both sides of the war on his own?

Rubbing the base of his nose, he then muttered, "Alright then… what's the plan? At least give me something so I can have a rough guideline as to what you want to do. I'm not going in there like a blind Gryffindor; Merlin knows how that ever works out for those idiots."

* * *

Two people popped out from the Floo Network; one was an unknown masked entity, and the other was the former Potions professor, Severus Snape. McGonagall coolly greeted the two, crossing her arms in a defensive position and stared at them suspiciously.

"Well, Severus, what brings you here?" Her tone was bitter and cold. "You realize that I'm only giving you this chance because of what you've told me. I have yet to see proof of your supposed allegiance to Albus' cause."

"Minerva," Snape calmly began, meeting her gaze unflinchingly, "I don't have much time to stay, there's much work at hand, and the Dark Lord requires it to be finished. But speaking of the deceased Headmaster, grab a Pensieve and I shall share that particular memory with you later, but for now, I have some news to share."

"Ah yes," McGonagall dryly retorted back, her voice laced with venom, "I'll view it at my own disposition, but I'm willing to bet that he said some nonsense about the greater good and trying to see the good in everyone and how everyone deserves a second chance, am I correct in this?"

The spy's face betrayed nothing. "If you already know, then you should realize that I had to do what was necessary for his plans to come to fruition."

"Even at the cost of his life while making you do it, Severus?"

"Plans can always change," Snape coolly replied back, his unchanging demeanor holding steadfast. Walking over to one of the living portraits, the double-agent stared at it for a moment, ignoring the tightening tension inside the room. Taking a deep breath, he opted to continue carrying the conversation.

"More than anything he wanted to keep his students, all of them, from going down the wrong path."

"Students? The only ones I can think of that were in any jeopardy are your snakes, Severus," McGonagall's shakily responded. It was clear from the visible strains from her neck that her patience was being stretched quite thin.

"Especially your godchild that you pander and dote on so much, Draco Malfoy. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined ranks with his father and is causing havoc at this very minute." The headmistress' quiet, yet stern voice bellowed within the room, any thought of light pleasantries being replaced by caustic bitterness. It would only take a single comment from the other speaker to ignite the underlying tension.

"He deserves a second chance, he didn't know what he was doing," Snape said with no regard to the atmosphere. It was either he cared not for the situation or was ignorant of the atmosphere, but regardless he boldly pushed the conversation forward.

"Who? You mean that child, Draco?" McGonagall exploded in an uncharacteristically intense manner. It was unnatural for her to lose her cool, and yet all the stress and anxiety that had piled up finally manifested itself. "He's main reason that our school was attacked in the first place! If it wasn't for that boy-"

"I can tell you first hand, Minerva," Snape coolly said with a slight rise to his voice, "That when the Dark Lord sets his sights upon you and gives you a task to accomplish, you're given no choice but to comply."

McGonagall grimaced at the implications and let out a tiresome sigh. The added weight of all responsibilities in the short period of time had seemingly added a few years to the Headmistress.

"You know that Albus would've done anything for the safety of his students."

The Headmistress mulled the information, wanting to state an opposition but knew that Snape was correct in his assertion. Relenting to this fact, she shook her head and muttered about the follies of her action. Before she could relax, she pointed to the other Death Eater and asked, "Are you sure it was safe for you to reveal everything that you've told me here?"

She then looked at the still, masked individual standing behind Snape. "You know, you still haven't answered the question, Severus. What brings you and your fellow Death Eater here?"

The former professor took a quick glance backward and smoothly drawled, "Minerva, I won't do anything that requires me asking an oath of you, however, I want your word that no harm comes to this person while they are to stay at Hogwarts."

This raised McGonagall's curiosity as she pursed her lips, replying brusquely, "Have you gone mad Severus? How could you possibly think that keeping a Death Eater near the students here would be a good idea?"

Snape merely raised his arm and gave a nod to the aforementioned masked individual came forward. McGonagall made haste to her wand, keeping it readily available in the case of an attack. Instead, the only thing that occurred was the unveiling of the face that hid behind the mask.

Draco Malfoy.

Draco noticed that his former Headmistress had tightened her grip on the wand—knuckles whitening, arms shaking, eyes shuttering. If he wasn't standing next to his godfather with the assurance that he would be kept safe throughout the meeting, he would've immediately sprung into action. However, keeping the words in mind, along with his own series of promises, he silently sat down on the chair, waiting for McGonagall's next response.

"This... this is madness..." McGonagall muttered to herself, slumping down in a chair. It appeared as though she was contemplating her previous decision and was unable to make up her mind. It was only mere seconds that ticked off the clock, but to Draco, they felt like an eternity.

Bullocks.

Draco mentally cursed at himself. He hated the precarious situation that he was currently placed in. He had learned an early, harsh lesson during the time that he had spent being on the run whilst trying to survive. Never allow yourself to become confined without having the option to escape. It was an excruciating lesson, one that he had locked away in his mind, and also something that he kept close to his heart to ensure that it would not be repeated again. Hence his desire to escape from the room at the very moment.

If it wasn't for his godfather promising him that this place would provide him a warm meal and a safe place to nap, he never would have taken up the offer. He allowed bodily temptation to override his instincts. Now, all he could do was waiting for judgment to pass upon him by the woman that had replaced Dumbledore.

The Malfoy heir closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He figured that at best, she would kick him out of the school, forcing him to go back to the dangers of the street; which was fine with him. Worst case scenario was that both he and Snape would be taken by the Order, never to see the light of day again. Draco waited with bated breath as he noticed that McGonagall was finally ready to announce her decision.

"I'll do my best to create an arrangement for Mr. Malfoy's temporary stay here at Hogwarts," she finally said in her usual professionally stern tone. "However, there are some conditions that I want him to agree upon, or else, I'll have no choice but to hand him over to the Order."

Before Draco could tell her to stuff the offer, he was cut-off by his godfather answering for him, "Of course Minerva, what're the conditions?"

"First of all, I've called in an additional person to join us for this meeting. Arthur, could you please come over now?"

Draco sighed as he buried his face in his hands and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Once again, he was stripped of the right to make this decision and now he was facing the consequences of being a prisoner for the Order. Dread began to fill his senses as he heard the telltale signs of the Floo coming alive. He knew that he couldn't blame anyone except himself for agreeing to come to the school in the first place.

Now it was only a matter of them organizing his prison sentence without his consent.

 **[She told me that the group talked about a few more things, the contents itself could not be found, but I was also told that they were not important]**

Draco yawned while stretching his arms in the air and leaned back against the chair, unloading his feet upon the nearby desk. Aside from a few safety stipulations, for both himself and the students, there wasn't much that they demanded from him. It went against all expectations and frankly it was a nice surprise. Sure, McGonagall was going to temporarily confiscate his wand, and he had to be in his Death Eater mask at all times. But it was a small sacrifice that he was making in exchange for a chance to rest his weary body. He wasn't going to admit it, but all the running and traveling that he was doing had started to wear thin on his sanity.

It was going to be a short reprieve, but he was going to make the most of it.

"Minerva, there's still some information that I'll share about the Dark Lord's plan." All eyes turned to Snape. "You-Know-Who is going to invade Hogwarts and transform it into a school like Durmstrang, at least similar to it in its darkest times."

The occupants in the room stared in disbelief as they digested the information that was given to them. Arthur was the first one to break the tension as he piped up, "We have to do something about this! I'll call some members of the Order so that we can resist this movement. We also need to start doing some kind of evacuation plan and maybe have-"

Snape whipped out his wand and pointed it at the Weasley patriarch. "You will do no such thing," he sneered. "As Minerva already knows, I only divulged such information under strict confidentiality. You must realize that if we're to take any visible action on this plan, then there will be consequences; very dire consequences."

Arthur mimicked the movement, brandishing his wand and aiming it at Snape's face. "We can't just leave the children here! There's no doubt that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to do such unimaginably horrible things to everyone here. No, forget that, think about the children!"

The Malfoy heir looked at the tense exchange between the two men and wondered if he would bear witness to some spectacular bloodshed. It wouldn't surprise him if the fight extended to those that were outside of the room. Draco fished around his robe and tightly gripped his wand as he eyed the former Transfiguration professor. Even if he got the first move on her, would he be quick enough to make any difference? His mind went beyond the fight and wondered if he would be able to use this commotion to escape Hogwarts.

However, before the tension could escalate to such proportions, Snape answered in an almost bored voice, "You-Know-Who is not a proponent of simply murdering off a single population of our world. He may have a lot of negative connotations attached to his being, but if the one attribute that you cannot use against him is that of his intellect."

This time, it was McGonagall that spoke up. "Severus? What're you trying to say...?"

Snape shook his head and slowly started to lower his arm. "Yes, people do fear the magnitude of power that he holds, however, that one emotion is not enough to capture people's hearts. You have to realize that he's quite intelligent and charismatic as well, good enough to hold a permanent sway in a human's heart. He pulls you in with his words, charms you with his aura, and blindly gets you drunk in the vast pool of his dark magic."

Draco looked away as he heard the description of the Dark Lord come forward. As much as he wanted to deny the words coming out from his godfather's mouth, he knew that there was truth to what he was saying. The overwhelming feeling that crushed his senses was fear, and he would say that it was because of this that he had been forced to go through with his regretful actions. But the reality of the situation was that a part of his subconsciousness wanted to obey and please the Dark Lord—to be the sole focus of the man's praise.

Maybe that was why his aunt Bellatrix became insane.

"The only people he has murdered," he continued, "were those that opposed him and the child of the prophecy." He quirked an eyebrow as he added, "Yes, people that continue to stay on neutral territory are eventually considered to be the enemy as they're given plenty of warnings by both him and the Death Eaters. And indeed, Death Eaters have murdered and tortured those that might be considered innocents, but the Dark Lord has not strayed from what I've mentioned."

The leap in logic was mad, yet brilliant, and Draco could see McGonagall and Arthur, struggling to contradict the argument. The double agent quipped up before anyone could provide a counterpoint. "Back to the original discussion. Nobody here will make mention of the upcoming invasion; but, there's a small issue that must be dealt with."

"Severus..." McGonagall said in a slightly shaky voice, "Tell me... just how well known are those that are involved in the Order? Those that are part of the light side?"

"That is why I'm here. As long as they are to follow the guideline that the Dark Lord will place in this school, the children here would be safe from any harm. You as well, Minerva, have not been placed on any list and will be considered as a neutral party when Hogwarts gets taken. However, I do know of a particular person that will be in dire straits if they were to continue to stay here."

The blonde jumped up from his chair when he heard Arthur slam his fist onto the wooden desk. Just the fact that the Weasley patriarch had physically demonstrated a modicum of duress was telling of just the amount of inner frustration the man must be feeling. There was no time for contemplation as Draco was able to ascertain the immediate danger this news would have upon his welfare.

Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes," he sounded defeated. "As much as I hate to agree with you, if the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord know of their identity, then she certainly isn't safe here for much longer."

The mention of a female piqued his ears, bringing Draco's attention immediately back to the conversation. There was someone here that was so important that they were personally identified? He wondered what this person had done that would draw such consideration. Was she a former Death Eater that was in a similar position as himself? Could it be a woman that held some type of damning secret? Now that his curiosity had been touched, he needed for it to be quenched.

There were some suggestions as to what they would do to solve this particular predicament. Members of the Order would be unable to assist as they would not arrive in time, and also they were thin on manpower and could not afford to bring any extras for the moment. Arthur was also unable to do anything as he had to finish an important assignment before the next meeting.

"Then how about we have Mr. Malfoy escort her to the meeting point? The way I see it, this will solve most of the problem that we have right now."

Draco rolled his eyes when the room deteriorated into another cacophony of babbling arguments. Even though they were supposed to be responsible adults, all they managed to do was continuously waste time. He knew that it was time for him to stop staying back and to be proactive with his own involvement. So far, most decisions had been made for him, without his thought or input, especially when he would be directly associated with the choice. The Malfoy heir took matters into his own hand as he raised his wand and asked in a loud and clear voice.

"Would it be good enough if I took a magical oath? I'd like to get a meal and take a nap before I run out of time and have to leave."

This had the intended effect that Draco wanted as silence reigned supreme. He looked into his godfather's eyes, imagining the long tirade that he would have to suffer through. However, it never came as the only words that came were, "You sure?"

Draco paused for a second and carefully chose his words before replying, "From what I understand is that I can't be trusted with such a task, considering my past history. Instead of wasting time trying to figure something else out, I'll give a magical oath upon the safe deliverance of this person. Wouldn't that be alright?"

The Headmistress exhaled and shook her head before saying, "Mr. Malfoy, as much as I despise your previous behavior and cannot find myself to forgive you for your transgressions, nonetheless, we are forced to entrust you with this task." There was a small pause before she continued, "However, if I so much as hear that harm came her way through your hands, then not even Merlin or the binding contract of the magical oath will save you from me, understood?"

Draco held his tongue, knowing that this was not the time to be making any of his usual snide remarks. His survival instincts were screaming at the presence of the woman in front of him, the powerful witch that Dumbledore had trusted to be one of his close advisers. Still, his desire to know who this person had now reached its apex. Who was this person that was able to pull out such a powerful and maternal emotion from this woman?

He couldn't wait to meet this influential individual.

"Arthur," McGonagall said as she turned to him, "I'll stay behind to ensure the binding of the magical oath, and that he fulfills his end of the bargain for his stay at Hogwarts. I know how busy you are, so please find the Head Boy and forward a message to him for me."

"And I must be on my way, Minerva, take care. Until next time," Snape said as he used the Floo system to leave Hogwarts ground.

* * *

The Great Hall was bereft of its usual multitude of giggling school children and the jovial mood that permeated the huge room. All that remained were a handful of students that were all closely sitting together, the mood being quite somber and tense.

"...Greengrass?"

"Merlin! You kidding me? I would definitely want to have a chance at going into the broom closet with her, I probably wouldn't mind trying to go beyond just a snog, you know, with the war going and all. Never know when you have another chance, right?"

Of course, no matter how strained the atmosphere might be, there were some that didn't take the situation too seriously.

"Okay, that one was easy, what about...Parkinson?"

"What, you mean Pansy Parkinson? That one girl who clung to Draco everywhere he went? I'm willing to bet she followed him into the bathroom and even helped the little bugger wank-off at night."

One of them eye-rolled before continuing, "Well? You didn't answer the question, would you, or would you not?"

"I'm not THAT desperate Justin."

The two of them began to snicker before a female interrupted their conversation.

"Hey now, that's not nice guys."

This time, Kevin rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh come off it Parvati, you know what a nasty bitch she's been for the entire time that she's been attending Hogwarts. Why would you try to stick up for her?"

Parvati shook her head, "It's just that...I feel sorry for her, you know? I've known her since we were kids, and she's had everything planned out for her. She's basically been groomed to be a pureblood housewife, you know? You do know that there's a reason for her being so obsessed with Draco, right?"

While the two boys stared intently at Parvati and shook their heads in unison, another more sensible conversation was taking place on the other side of the table.

"You alright, Hermione?" Neville frowned, looking at the Head Girl. "You're unnaturally quiet today."

There were numerous things running through her mind, most of them revolving around the war itself. Of course, she couldn't voice any of her concerns as she knew that most of the school population unconsciously looked towards her as a source of support. Even if it felt as though most of the student body was going through the motions of school, it was better than having a panic attack seize them.

"Ah, I'm just thinking about the Runes essay that's due soon. Don't worry, I'll be fine Neville."

Hermione managed to smile back at her friend as she stared back down at the textbook that she had brought with her to the Great Hall. Her friends meant well, but they couldn't provide her comfort in the same depth that her two best friends could.

The problem was in the fact, aside from Harry, none of them had Voldemort before his revival, so the news of his triumphant return had shocked them. Sure, some had been serviceable when they went to the Department of Mysteries, and when the Death Eaters broke into Hogwarts. Those were under circumstances when Dumbledore was still alive; a situation totally different from the current scenario where a full-fledged war was waging without the oversight of the powerful wizard.

Ginny, Luna, Seamus, and Dean had soon joined them at the table and they attempted to make small talk. She was appreciative of their efforts, but it greatly irked her that they were trying to have a conversation, all while skirting around the main issue that was plaguing everyone's mind. It was times like this that she missed having Ron's blunt nature to push these sensitive topics to the front.

Hermione sighed when she recalled that the Order meeting was the last time she had a proper interaction with him. She didn't know if, or when she would see him again, and she didn't like how they had departed on a bad note.

 _"We've been through so much, we really shouldn't have fought there but...he can just be so infuriating sometimes!"_ Hermione thought to herself. Closing her eyes, she rubbed the base of her temples before shaking her head. With that being said, the next time they met, she would apologize to him properly, and maybe after that, they could...

"...is what I heard happened the past hour or so."

The bushy-haired witch blinked a few times as the rumor flew past her ears. Usually, she paid little heed to such gossip since her mental acquisitiveness could not bother to retain puerile information. However, she had collected enough words swimming around the rumor mill to have her mind become piqued by this one.

"Wait, could you repeat that Seamus?"

The Irish wizard shrugged repeated the circulating gossip, "So...I heard from Cho, who heard from another fifth-year Hufflepuff, who then overheard from a painting, who just so happened to get this information from a ghost, that Snape had somehow brought a group of Death Eaters to Professor McGonagall's office and had taken her out!"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes since that was one of the more absurd ones that she had heard thus far. If the Headmistress of Hogwarts went down, then all of the school would know of it. She bit her tongue as she knew that there was always some sort of truth hidden in these wild theories.

"Well, it was said from the vineyard of Nargles, and told by the Wrackspurts, that a double-sided Galleon that was lost with debts was going to be collected by an angel. An angel of death~"

None of those that were sitting at the table bothered to ask or translate what the girl meant and merely chalked it up to Luna simply being Luna. Hermione looked over to Ginny and raised an eyebrow hoping that the signal was enough of a cue for her to start.

"I'll just tell you everything since I'm just as confused as the rest of you guys. Basically, it's agreed that Snape was inside of the office, having a meeting with Professor McGonagall."

Hermione allowed a smile to grace her lips when she heard the red-headed Weasley go into 'gossip mode'. Ginny had the rare gift of taking all the gossip floating around the school and retelling it in a comprehensible manner.

"It's not clear if he went in alone or brought a group with him inside, but I do know that all they had was a meeting. Heck, if our Headmistress really did get killed then I think everyone inside the school would know, right?"

Hermione nodded in agreement when the youngest Weasley managed to voice her previous thought.

"It could also be said that members of the Order were ready for this, and they are now holding them for interrogation so that there could be a final confrontation with You-Know-Who."

She could tell that this was going to get out of hand and fast. Not wanting the conversation to deter any further, Hermione cleared her throat as she asked an innocent question. "So, did you get any news back from Harry?"

Just the mention of her boyfriend gave way to a subtle shift in Ginny's jovial mood. The change itself was quite small and hard to recognize since, at least outwardly, there was nothing to indicate that the subject was bothering her. However, after being in the constant company of the red-head, she had come to identify some of these signs. A slight sagging of the shoulders, a light blush of the cheeks, and the unfocused dilation of the pupils. No matter how hard the youngest Weasley tried to assure the group that she was 'fine' with the situation, Hermione knew that she was anything but what she had claimed.

"So," Hermione said, listening to Ginny wrap up the summary of the rumor mill. "The only thing that can be ascertained from this is that there is a 50% probability that Snape is, or was here, and that the office was used as the main location."

There was one thing that stopped her from claiming this as a fact, and that was how the traitorous murderer had come back to Hogwarts. Not only that, but he presumably had a meeting with McGonagall. If she were to presuppose that the previous statements were true, then what had happened between those two? She was missing a crucial piece of information, and she wasn't going to simply accept the fact that the former professor had somehow been able to waltz back to the scene of the crime with no repercussion.

"Hey Hermione, the Headmaster... I mean Headmistress McGonagall wants to see you."

She had been drawn out of her mind when she saw the Head Boy hand her a piece of paper, "Thanks, Anthony." She stood up from the table as she turned to her friends, "I'll see you guys in class later."

She began to make her way to the office with many thoughts and scenarios circulating in her mind. However, she was going to quell her Gryffindor tendencies and allow her inner Ravenclaw to manifest itself this time. She would gather all the facts first before giving in to her impulses. For now, she would trust McGonagall to be safe and that all of what she had gathered was just that - rumor.

Hermione unfolded the paper and read the password etched onto it before repeating it to the gargoyle. Making her way up the stairs, she then knocked on the door before hearing a familiar, matriarchal voice call out, "You may come in."

!

As soon as Hermione entered the room, she got into an alert stance, pointing her wand at the Death Eater that was standing off to the side. She had to give credit to everyone that was involved in keeping the gossip system alive, it seemed like there was some substance to these things after all. Still, this didn't make any sense to her. If the enemy had breached Hogwarts again, then why wait for her to make an entrance? Also, above all else...

Where was McGonagall?

Imbuing her wand with magic, Hermione gave it a flick before casting a _**Protego**_ and cautiously stared at the nearby Death Eater. She found it strange that this one hadn't bothered to prepare or even take out their wand. Whatever the reason may be, it seemed that this one was underestimating her.

"Where's the Headmistress?" Hermione asked in a desperate tone, getting herself ready to immobilize the enemy. "I asked you where she is, you-"

"That's enough Ms. Granger," McGonagall's voice sharply cut in before she was able to finish casting the spell. Looking slightly confused, Hermione looked over at the speaker and noticed that her favorite professor was still alive, and breathing. Letting out a sigh of relief, the young woman put her wand down and placed her hand on her hips.

"You do not have to concern yourself over this one as he's a mercenary that was called here to help us with a few things. The...mask is merely a cover that he is using for safety purposes. Anyways, I called you here to go over some major plots which would directly affect you."

The disguised wizard leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms before growling low in his throat, "Thank Salazar for the strong wards in Hogwarts. I'll leave you two alone for now, but I want to redo the deal since I had no idea I'd be dealing with... her."

Hermione held her tongue and ignored the rude remark while she waited for the mercenary to leave the room. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she shook her head and said "I can't believe that you'd be hiring such a rude fellow to be helping you! Why don't you just use one of the members of the Order to come and assist you with this problem?"

"I'll tell you all I can within the allotted time period. But for now, Ms. Granger, please have a seat and listen to what I have to say."

As the witch took a seat on one of the chairs, she stared in wonder at McGonagall. She had just seen her not long ago, but the time that had elapsed between then and now seemed to have aged her favorite professor considerably. The war was definitely taxing, both physically and mentally, on many people, and it didn't help that there was no immediate end in sight.

"Professor? Is everything alright? Did something happen to Harry and Ron? Could I help you with anything?"

McGonagall let out a long, exasperated breath as she turned her attention to the young woman before responding, "There are many things that I have to share with you, including some news that I was able to receive from an informant."

Hermione watched her former Head of House take out two cups as a kettle poured hot tea into them. Giving her appreciation for the warm beverage, she gave it a small sip as she waited for more information to come towards her.

"Did you know Ms. Granger, that one of the main reasons I stayed behind and kept this school open was to give you students a place to call a safe haven? I had hoped that this sanctuary would last until the war was finished and that none of you would be exposed to any of the dangers outside. But, it seems as though I've failed in this endeavor, for I've been told that either some Death Eaters of his inner circle or even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will finally come and bring down the wards."

It was not a matter of 'if' but 'when', as she already knew that they had previously infiltrated Hogwarts. The gravity of the situation and the significance behind it quickly hit her as she stood up from the chair.

Almost as if she had used an art from the field of divination, McGonagall sadly smiled as she shook her head. "No Ms. Granger, the school will not put up any resistance to the upcoming invasion from the Dark Lord. This has already been discussed, but for the sake of all those that are involved, Hogwarts will not put up any opposition. However, that is not the cause of my consternation, as I have been assured that the children and teachers here will go relatively unharmed."

There was a moment of a peaceful lull between the two, with McGonagall spending some time sipping her tea before finally saying, "I'm sorry Ms. Granger, I truly am. I wish I could keep you in Hogwarts but..."

A spark of outrage clipped at the corner of Hermione's senses as she slammed her hands down on the table. "What? Why must I retreat? I wish to stay here and help support you! Even if we aren't going to fight, surely I should be staying here as that was the original agreement that I had with Ron and Harry. I refuse; I won't abandon you or those inside of Hogwarts. I am not going to be the only one running away from You-Know-Who."

"Please calm down," McGonagall gently said, her lips beginning to quiver. "There are so many things that have changed or become warped due to the war. I had really hoped that I could keep you sheltered until it was safe for you to go outside again. The reason why you must run from this building is because of who you are. Although some of the Order members are still operating under anonymity, the more prominent ones have had their identities discovered by the dark side."

"So then..."

The Transfiguration professor walked over to the brilliant-minded Gryffindor and wrapped her in a hug. "I am so sorry... not only did I fail Albus and all of the school, but I have also failed you. Please forgive me..."

Hermione couldn't help but shake and lightly sob into McGonagall's robes, while she tightly clutched onto her. What could she say at this point? Yes, she was frustrated at the fact that she was the one that would be retreating to safer grounds while everyone else around her would be fighting. However, realizing the painstaking lengths that she must've gone through, and sacrificed, then for all of the efforts to be in vain. It must've been equally painful for her professor to admit her failures.

After the solemn and depressing period had passed, they wiped the tears from their eyes as the elderly woman slowly detached from her student.

"Now Ms. Granger, there are many things I must fill you in before your eventual retreat. However, I do believe that we have kept the mercenary outside waiting for quite some time and if the briefing is correct, then that person will want to eat and rest before his mission. So please guide him to the kitchen and then to the temporary guest room. Once you are finished, please return to the office, and we can further discuss this situation."

Hermione simply nodded after receiving the instructions and began to leave, when she heard the former Head of Gryffindor house speak, "Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the mercenary will be the one to help keep you safe once you are outside the walls of Hogwarts."

* * *

"I heard of the circumstances that have placed your services at our disposal, and I am... grateful for it." The pause was strenuous and the giving of thanks sounded forced. "I uh... I will take you to the kitchen and ask the house elves to make some food for you if that sounds agreeable with you mister...?"

The masked mercenary's eyes were unmoving, looking straight at the speaker without betraying a hint of his emotions. It was hard to tell just what he was thinking as he stood in the dark corner of the hallway, unwilling to budge an inch.

"Listen here," Draco growled back at Hermione, his voice dissimulating that of its usual timbre and tone. "Remember that this is just a job for me. Nothing more, nothing less. The only thing I have to do is keep you alive, so piss off with that jovial attitude, princess."

Usually, she was able to brush off such rude remarks since they were petty and beneath her notice. However, for some reason, Hermione was unable to ignore the scathing tone of the mercenary. It was most likely a combination of her meeting with McGonagall, and feeling emotionally drained from the day's event, but she was not in the right state of mind to deal with this sort of attitude.

"Look, you daft pillock," Hermione irately stated back. "I don't know what your problem is, and I don't like this situation any more than you do. But if you are going to be doing this job, then it should be professional courtesy to at least be tolerable to the client, do you not think so?"

It took a while before the disguised Malfoy heir peeled himself away from the wall and grunted back, "Dragon."

"What?"

"Name. Dragon." It was curt and to the point, which Draco hoped allowed him to avoid further unnecessary interactions with the Mudblood. Shaking his head, he began to walk down the hallway.

Hermione was about to once again open her mouth in objection when she second-guessed herself and squinted in the direction the mercenary was going. She had seen him unarmed so there was no real danger to any of the students in the school. It was when she noticed him maneuvering around Hogwarts and going straight for the portrait that made her take note of this person. His fluid movements through the corridors indicated to her the familiarity that he had with the school.

"Hold on, who are you?"

Draco closed his eyes muttering, "For Salazar's sake..." before waving her off while responding, "Dragon." A sigh escaped from his lips before he started to reach into the inner pockets of his robe when he felt the tip of a wand dangerously close to his face.

"Granger..." he threateningly hissed, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hermione said in an accusatory tone.

The blonde wizard raised his free arm in the air to indicate his position of surrender. He slowly extracted the other ligament to unveil a black card. The same ration card that he had managed to steal from the patrol officer before arriving at Hogwarts.

"What...what is that?" the witch asked as her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. "Are you trying to pay with a credit card or something?"

Draco found the question absolutely preposterous. How could anyone survive without depending on one of these things? Easily getting frustrated by such a simple question he snapped back, "Don't tell me you don't know what a ration card is? For fuck's sake, you can't eat without having one of these things."

Hermione shook her head as she answered, "Hogwarts provides for its students just like it usually does. Well, the amount isn't the usual standard of the piles of food that we're used to, but I don't think many people have an appetite these days."

He desperately wanted her to tell him that this was all a cruel joke that the Mudblood was playing just to see his reaction. However, he could tell that she wasn't kidding, and this alarmed him. Just how sheltered and covered was she from how the world operated now? He hoped that much of this could be clarified, along with the renegotiation of the oath.

"I never signed up for this," Draco spat out as he didn't bother waiting for the vile female to open the portrait. "I'm going back to Prof- I mean McGonagall and going to talk to her about this. I was tricked."

When he started to walk away, Hermione quipped in. "Oh! I was told that she would be quite busy and wouldn't be able to take guests and visitors. She told me that if you were concerned about this deal, then to remind you that you did this from your own discernment."

The Malfoy heir gritted his teeth in frustration as he heard a hint of mockery in that statement. He knew that he had nobody else to blame except himself for this predicament. Draco had a mission to fulfill, but he would be damned if he continued to play by their rules, or anyone else's. He wasn't sure how he was going to exact his revenge just yet, but he had plenty of time during the journey to plan something out.

Draco shook his head as he ran through his Occlumency, smoothing out his shields and ebbing out any unnecessary emotions from his mind. Sharply exhaling, he calmly fixed his mask and then informed her. "I'm a bit knackered, you mind pointing me to the private quarters where I shall be resting?"

"What about your food?"

The wizard shrugged before answering, "Leave it somewhere nearby, I'll eat it after I get some sleep." He knew that if he attempted to take his meal under the wretched Muggle-born's gaze, then he would quickly lose his appetite. As Draco started to take a few steps, he suddenly found himself unable to properly move his upper body, feeling something poke his spine.

"Please don't go off on your own; you aren't allowed any free movements within the walls of Hogwarts. Just to ensure your cooperation this time, I shall be guiding you from behind, so please Mister Dragon, make haste to the guest room."

Draco couldn't help but let out a small snort when he noticed what she was trying to imply. Rolling his eyes behind the mask, he begrudgingly began to make his way towards the particular section. The school must really be low on either enrollment or qualified individuals if they let a lowly Mudblood become Head Girl. Then again, if McGonagall became Headmistress of Hogwarts, then he could see her playing favorites and allowing her prodigal student to take up the particular mantle.

The walk was silent and short, yet filled with dread and anxiety for the young witch. While the two made their way around, Hermione constantly flicked her eyes through the hallways, ensuring that the corridors would be empty of any lingering souls. Luckily for the pair, that appeared to be the case as nobody bothered to interrupt them during this small trek. Draco made the final turn and patiently waited in front of a set of drapes for the Muggleborn to unveil and open the portrait.

As Hermione made her way around the masked mercenary, she gave the disguised young man a funny look and pulled aside the covers to reveal a portrait of an ancient tome. Leaning closely to the frame, she whispered the password causing the picture to whip to the side. She then jabbed the wand at the other teenager as he stumbled into the quarters.

"The room to the left is unlocked and has a ready-made bed there. You can either use that or the sofa in the main room. I shall have one of the elves bring up the food here. And as for me..." A smirk formed at the corner of her lips as she watched the portrait between them begin to close. "I believe the Headmistress still has some business to finish with me, so I shall be quite busy until then."

"Ah, where are my manners?" Hermione stopped in her tracks and called out, "Welcome to Hogwarts, I hope you enjoy your stay here, Dragon."

"Bloody Mudblood..." was the last thing Hermione heard as the picture frame sealed itself shut.

* * *

Draco couldn't help but let out a lazy yawn while he tiredly splayed his body on the sofa. He combed his fingers through his messy, damp hair and fiddled with the wet towel. It had felt like an eternity since he last took a shower, and, Merlin, did it feel incredible. Just the sensation of the water cleansing his body, even if it was temporary, was a luxury that he could not afford. The quiet emptiness of the room, combined with the lush furniture began to lull him toward a suspension of consciousness.

 **Pop!**

The half-naked wizard hurriedly scrambled to his disguise before noticing a tray of warm food appearing near the table.

"Bloody house elf..." Draco murmured as he let out a sigh. Sitting back down on a chair, he rubbed the back of his head and stared at the meal before him. It was a simple mishmash of bread, potatoes, fish, and tomato soup. He took a bite out of the bread and swirled some of the chunky, red soup on his tongue, relishing the warmth.

A shower on top of a free meal.

"They had it quite easy," Draco snorted at the passing thought of just how oblivious they were to the forsaken world.

After the meal, he would check his inventory before going into the room to get some much-needed rest. Since he didn't have his wand readily handy he would have to be cautious in safeguarding his identity; at least until he was properly equipped and ready to handle any tantrums that she might throw. He took in some starch and protein while wondering how his parents were doing; not so much his father, but his mother.

Even though Lucius had fallen from both the favor of the Dark Lord and his position of the inner circle, Draco knew that his father was at least safe inside of the wretched hellhole that was Azkaban. His mother, on the other hand, was a different story. While she wasn't a huge proponent of the pureblood movement, she did have her own set of beliefs that she firmly wanted him to carry.

The family traditions of the Ancient and Noble House of both Black and Malfoy.

Letting out a sigh, Draco erased these tiresome thoughts from his mind before he started to stuff food down his throat.

* * *

Hermione frowned when she put the book down on the desk. There were so many more questions that she had concerning the war, yet she had been dismissed earlier than she would've liked. After receiving a history lesson on what had occurred between the revival of Voldemort, his declaration of war upon the Light side, and the damage that it had done upon the magical world, she had been given some warnings on what to expect once she stepped outside.

Don't carelessly use magic.  
Don't turn your back to a stranger.  
Don't ever lose hope.  
And lastly, do trust the masked mercenary...to an extent.

None of these were expanded upon as the Headmistress was whisked away to another location, leaving the young witch to stew in her thoughts whilst studying upon the subject of Horcruxes. A twinge of anxiety knotted in the depths of her stomach. Goosebumps lightly tingled across her skin as she narrowly eyed the window. She didn't have to use magic to know that something was wrong.

" _ **Tempus.**_ " Hermione checked the time as she hurried out of the classroom. Whipping her head around, she checked to see if there was anyone else hanging around the hallways. Even as her brain was still processing this 'mysterious' force, she let herself get carried by her legs. Before she was able to realize it, her legs had instinctively taken her to the Headmistress' office.

Knocking on the door, Hermione went into the room to find her favorite professor staring out of the window.

"You feel it as well?" she asked, coming around to stand by the Headmistress' side.

"Yes," McGonagall replied. Hermione could hear the undertone or worry in her voice. The Headmistress's hands were tightly gripping the rails and her eyes were entirely focused on studying the darkened clouds. "Something is wrong here, and I am not sure what it is."

The pair of witches stood by and looked out over the field, trying to gauge what the ominous feeling of foreboding was. Both of them suddenly caught a glimpse of an incandescent sphere of light heading towards them.

"What's that?" Hermione asked in wonder as she took a few steps back, the light bounding onto the walls before bursting into a stunning doe Patronus. Blinking a few times, she wanted to ask whose this brilliant corporal animal could be when she heard McGonagall speak up.

"That is our warning." The Headmistress shut her eyes and shuddered with dismay.

"They are coming, Minerva," a familiar male voice echoed. "Make haste, for they are coming." The shimmering Patronus disappeared as fast as it had appeared, erasing almost all traces of it inside the room.

McGonagall locked eyes with Hermione and gave her a grave stare. "Listen, Ms. Granger, I'll be alerting the other professors of this news and try to keep everything under control. You on the other hand..."

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she shook her head. "I changed my mind! Let me stay and help, I don't want anyone to be left behind at Hogwarts when the Dark Lord arrives."

"Quiet, Hermione," the older witch immediately hushed her. "Don't make this harder than it already is. Please, stick to the plan and escape while you still can."

The bushy-haired female bit her lower lip as she tore her eyes away from the Headmistress. She was right; this was no time to be playing the martyr. There was too much at stake for the Light for her to be caught here at Hogwarts.

"Here, Ms. Granger, inside of this storage box you will find necessary items that will help you on this journey. Some medical potions, ration cards, and a few other trinkets that may come in handy when the appropriate time comes. I have also placed the young man's wand in here."

Putting the container to one side, she desperately reached out and hugged her mentor. Wordlessly releasing her grip on McGonagall, she then nodded before leaving the office.

* * *

 **Knock knock knock**

Silence.

 **Knock knock knock**

Draco opened the door to the guest room as he stared at Hermione. She looked worse for wear, emitting a disheveled and worrisome body language. Still, it wasn't any of his concern, since he was merely 'hired' to guard her. Nothing more, nothing less. Straightening himself out, he crossed his arm before asking, "Is it time?"

The witch nodded as she discarded her robe and put a loose-fitting sweater over the rest of her clothes. Taking a deep breath, she then shakily responded, "Let's go Dragon."

The disguised Malfoy let out a 'tsk' as he grabbed hold of Hermione, briefly stopping her in her tracks.

"Ow! What are you doing? We have to hurry and leave now!"

Draco shook his head as he tightened his grip and hissed at her, "Are you bloody mad? You want me to leave these wards without a wand? If you want to step foot outside in this condition, then we might as well wait for the effing Dark Lord to kill us. Because there is no way—"

"Here," Hermione said, tossing the wand at the masked male. "Now, let's go, shall we? Headmistress McGonagall outlined a secret passage for us to use so that we can escape through one of the tunnels and come out onto the village."

As the Malfoy heir followed the girl, he couldn't help but ask, "Where?"

The young witch spun around as a door magically appeared before them, giving them entrance into the Room of Requirement.

"Hogsmeade."

 **[She confirmed that the two had managed to escape from the school]**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Chapter has been touched up here and there, hopefully it reads a bit better and the overall quality of it is at least better than the previous rendition of it. While it isn't perfect, I put some make-up on it so it can be a bit more shiner. Anyways, reviews are appreciated, so enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** No copyright infringement is intended with this piece, since this is purely done for the sake of entertainment, not for profit.

* * *

 **[What did they witness inside of the village?]**

 **Closer look:** Hermione

I'm already having second thoughts about this entire venture.

We just came out of the Room of Requirement when the mercenary decided that we would be waiting instead of starting our journey. The only explanation that I was given was that it would be safer for both of us to move when there would be a smaller risk of getting caught.

Ew, that feels cold.

It is an agreeable move to be cautious in our excursion since there were no guarantees for our safety. Although I do have to wonder, would it kill him to engage me in a simple conversation? There is a limit on how long I can keep myself occupied with these mental exercises. I can only recall so much of the theories and textbooks that I've read before indulging in such activity becomes boring even to me.

I should've brought some books with me.

Recording a journal with my mind seems like a pointless enterprise. I'm going to forget most of this anyway, so why am I still doing this? Well, there is one thing that's been bothering me following our arrival here. Honestly, I'm still baffled by our location after coming out from the tunnel of the Room of Requirement.

Wait, I did do it right, didn't I? Let me go over the steps...

I took all the right steps in making the room appear and even ensured the contents would be reflective of my desire by keeping that particular mindset. Yes, I will not begrudge the fact that we were able to escape from Hogwarts without raising any suspicions. However, the expected place of our destination was Hog's Head, not the train station.

Why did we land on the train tracks? This is what has me confounded the most.

I want to discuss this with him, or anyone else, but the problem with this lies in the fact that I doubt Dragon knew about this mysterious room. I have my suspicions of his ties with the school, and I'll be testing them out later. But, if the other party has no foreknowledge of the previously mentioned topic, then it wouldn't behoove me to bring about such a discussion.

Now that I take a better look around, the place only appears to emulate parts of the Hogsmeade train station. Perhaps I missed it due to my initial shock of landing in an area that was out of my calculations but...

Where are we?

* * *

Draco stifled a yawn and rubbed the back of his neck.

To say that he had been surprised by the appearance of the Room of Requirement would not be accurate. The young wizard recalled personally leading Umbridge there, in hopes of getting Potter and his motley crew in trouble. However, the result of them going through a passageway directly from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade was something that he could not have imagined. Still, there wouldn't be any use for him to linger on this issue, since there was no chance he would be returning to school.

Draco felt his eyes droop from the sheer boredom of the situation.

They had been searching around the train station for roughly half an hour, looking for a way out of the place. He had an inkling that there were a few security wards and guards scattered about, doing their usual night routine. Now, if he had been alone, then getting past these would not have been an issue. However, this was simply not in the realm of possibilities, not with the contract hovering over his head, threatening to eviscerate his livelihood.

Letting out a sigh, Draco leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. He had already wasted enough time getting nothing accomplished, and if there was something that he learned from his previous experience, it was to keep himself active and guarded. Even though it was a temporary stop at Hogwarts, it had quietly managed to dull the instincts that he had sharpened before the pit-stop.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, the blonde rubbed the back of his head and began planning out his next course of action. What he needed was information, and he was going to start with the Mudblood.

"Hey," Draco hesitantly called out, walking over to the aforementioned female. He noticed that she was studying a particular section of the tunnel, which he promptly ignored. "What did McGonagall tell you about this mission?"

It wasn't as though he was going into this entire ordeal blind, that was hardly the case. But he figured that there were some things that were told to her that hadn't been presented to him.

"Well..." Hermione bit her lower lips and rolled her eyes to bottom right before replying, "I'm sure McGonagall told you everything you need to know. I don't think she told me anything different from what she's told you."

The blonde forcibly bit down on his tongue, knowing fully well what was about to tumble out from his mouth. Trying to stay in character, all the while being forced to fulfill the contract obligations was going to mentally tax him for the rest of this trip. At this rate, he knew that he was going to make a mistake somewhere and have everything blow up on his face, most likely from an oversight of his own negligence.

Stepping away from the insufferable girl, Draco peeled the mask off to the side and rubbed his eyelids. He smacked his mouth together and tasted blood. Disgusting. Spitting on the ground, he felt a surge of irritation roll off his shoulder. That was twice that the lowly Mudblood had forced him to draw blood. He didn't know how or when, but he would eventually get vengeance upon her.

Quickly refreshing his Occlumency barriers, Draco went through his other options. Since she was being less than cooperative with him, he would have to tackle the next item on the agenda. The blonde made sure to look over his shoulders first before crouching down to the floor. Taking out his wand, he began tracing a few lines and figures while muttering some words under his breath.

 _"Let's see...if I can remember this correctly, then the lower levels of the village have a few Death Eaters patrolling the area, but, it shouldn't be too long before they finish up and desert the area. If we can safely find a way out of here and get to Hogsmeade, then we can take that route and get to this meeting point without much of a fuss."_

Draco let out a sigh and fastened the mask over his face. It felt cumbersome and heavy against his face, but it was a necessary discomfort that he had to put up with at the moment. Since the mission was going to be over with soon enough, there was no need to make things more complicated.

Get the job finished. Seek retribution.

Now that he thought about it, the two of them had spent an ample amount of time together in school, so it would not be a surprise if she was able to pick up on his voice after a while. Grumbling under his breath, he quickly casted a spell to assist in altering his voice.

There was no need to add an unnecessary dimension to the escort mission, not with their past history and the inevitable drama that would follow. As it stood, he would ignore her to the best of his ability and hold up his end of the bargain. But that didn't mean that everything would be done in a clean manner.

 _"That's why Gryffindors are weak, everything's straightforward with this bunch. Perhaps I should remind them_ _of_ _the perils of trying to make a deal with a snake,"_ Draco thought to himself.

"Hey, Dragon," Hermione finally said, snapping the blonde out from his thoughts. "Would you be familiar with the Hogsmeade train station?"

No response.

"I wouldn't say that I'm an expert with things such as infrastructure since they aren't a main focus of any of the curriculum being taught in Hogwarts. But what I do know is that, presuming this is the same train station connected to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade...we aren't exactly inside the village."

This certainly got Draco's attention.

"I can't say for sure, but, it might have to do with where we came out from the hidden passageway," the witch began to babble. "You see, every time that room appears, the tunnel would usually be connected to this room in the Hog's Head. But for some reason we were displaced at a much further location. So, if—"

The blonde got up from the walls and shook his head before responding, "Granger, get to the point before you bore me to death."

Hermione huffed and glared at the young man. "I believe we didn't fully go through the passageway and the perceived back-end of the station is probably the continuation of said tunnel."

Draco stared at the girl for a few seconds before looking at the tracks that were extending deeper into the tunnel. Blinking a few times, the blonde shook his head before heading down into the aforementioned section. However, before he could go any further, his advancement was impeded by an invisible barrier. He tried getting through a few more times from different angles and entry points, but each of them was met by the same result – failure. Crossing his arms, he turned around to face Hermione.

"What exactly happened here?" The blonde asked in an increasingly irritated tone.

Hermione shook her head and answered, "I haven't had any time to properly research the properties of the Room of Requirement, but I would have to say that someone or something managed to interfere with the process."

"Granger," Malfoy cut her off and stamped his feet impatiently, "Get to the point already."

Letting out a sigh, she replied, "Look, all I know is that some type of rune inscription, and wards have been placed in the vicinity somewhere to make it seem as though we're in the train station."

"Why would they do that?"

Hermione once again shook her head, "I don't know...I just recognized some of the patterns that were etched onto this stone here. I do have to say, that whoever did this made quite an elaborate design just to make this whole thing appear...real."

There were many reasons why something like this would've been created, but until they were told its actual purpose, everything would be mere speculation. Not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer, Draco rubbed the back of his head before asking, "Since this is supposed to be an illusion of sorts, I'm guessing that the exit is over there?"

Getting a nod of confirmation, the wizard pointed to the dark entrance. "We've wasted enough time, let's go."

When the two finally emerged from the connected passageway, they found themselves on top of a grassy hill, just on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. Normally, the view from the apex of the cliff would have been labeled as beautiful with the sight of Hogsmeade and all its surroundings being seen from the vantage point. But, the ongoing war had warped the landscape to produce a scenery that was less than pleasant.

* * *

"This...is Hogsmeade?"

Hermione stared in horror at the present state of the once great village. It was easy to discern the catastrophic battles that took place from all the wanton destruction that was on display. Taking another look at the destroyed scenery, the brunette began to run down the hill. Slightly blindsided by the girl's impulsive action, Draco cursed under his breath and stumbled upon his first step before steadying himself and following her.

Stopping just short of Hogsmeade's walls, Draco was able to grab hold of the witch's arm.

"Granger, what the bleeding hell do think you're doing?"

Forcibly pushing him away, Hermione snapped. "Is this worth it?" she asked. "All this senseless violence just to follow a stupid belief that hinges upon the fear of the old and established families. Is this desperate attempt at keeping such an archaic system alive, just so that the purebloods can continue to harbor this false sense of superiority, worth sacrificing everything?"

Again, no response.

"Tell me," Hermione said in a cold tone, "do you enjoy witnessing the world that you grew up in tethering on the brink of destruction?"

By now, Draco had walked away from the Muggle-born and was investigating the Hogsmeade outer shell. Tapping a cracked section with the back of his hand, he asked, "Think you can get up this wall?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, "I-I'm not too sure..."

Nonchalantly shrugging, Draco told her, "The nearby entrance is most likely barred with some type of security. I'll scale the wall and try to find a way for you to get in, so stay here, and wait for me to come back, alright?"

"Why can't we just go the village instead?"

She saw him stop in the midst of his preparation to climb the wall and answer, "Most established villages and cities like this, especially those with protective barriers surrounding it, usually have patrol units and security wards all around the place. Yes, it would be much easier to go around, but the risk is simply not worth it. If I was alone I might've been able to but with the contract..."

Hermione frowned as she watched the hired hand steadily walk away from her. He troubled her on two fronts. The first was his response, or lack thereof, and she didn't know what to make of it.

Did he not care for the turmoil that the country was currently going through?

She understood the position of the mercenary, as explained by McGonagall, which was neutrality and only offering their services to those that paid their fees, but the way she viewed it, this was being a coward at its finest. Instead of choosing a side, they would simply go to the highest bidder and then declare themselves a denizen of the winning side once everything was finished.

At least the Dark side had chosen something to fight for—even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

This unresponsive nature tied in with the second issue: Dragon's identity. Just when she thought she could narrow down the choices of those that the mercenary could be, his professional disregard to her views was making her rethink her options.

* * *

While climbing up the jagged, broken wall, Draco did his best to collect his composure. The temptation to blast the Mudblood in the face became too alluring for him to resist. It took everything in his willpower, and then some, to simply walk away without uttering back a single argument.

He figured that at this rate, it wouldn't be any outside influence that had the greatest potential to disrupt this mission, but rather the constant fighting between them.

Getting to the top, the young man quickly flattened his body down onto his stomach. After taking a breath, he scanned the town and took note of the different illuminated areas. There weren't enough lit buildings to help stave off the growing darkness—perfect situation that would allow the two of them to sneak in and get out without drawing much attention.

"Dragon, do you see anything up there?"

Not bothering to answer her question, Draco carefully gripped the edge before hanging off the opposite side. He then took a deep breath before uncurling his hands, letting himself drop to the ground. Upon landing on the concrete, he immediately found himself rolling on the ground.

"Ugh," the young man grunted in pain. "That could've gone a lot better...at least none of the Death Eaters were around to hear me."

Leaping back up to his feet, the wizard ducked behind a nearby building. Putting a hand on his chest, he waited for his heart to stabilize before calmly exhaling and allowing his mind to get to work. Since he had a general outline of Hogsmeade drawn up in his head, all he had to do was find an opening for the girl.

Draco undid the mask and stowed it into the robe, the cool breeze lightly brushing against his face. Calmly reaching into his pocket, he blindly groped around for a few seconds before his fingers lightly brushed over the item that he was searching for – the cigarette. Plucking it between his thumb and index finger, the young man shoved it into the corner of his mouth. The entire moment was quickly ruined when he discovered having no means of lighting it.

Grumbling at the unfortunate circumstance, he spat out the cigarette and watched it roll around the ground. Taking a deep breath, Draco took a look around before quickly dropping to the floor and picking up the discarded item. He carefully snubbed out the lit end before safely dropping it back into the inner pocket of his robe.

 _"Waste not, want not, huh? What a strange Muggle saying..."_ Draco mused to himself before getting back to the task at hand. Finding a torn-down building, he crouched down before hiding behind it. Using the leftover debris and the evening skies as a cover, the blonde carefully began to make his way through the streets. He also made sure to analyze as much of the local surveillance teams and the inner layout of the village as possible.

 _"Judging from the patterns I've been able to notice, the patrol groups in this area contain either two or three Death Eaters. They also seem to be staying near the roads and that building as well."_

Clutching at the edge of the building he was hiding behind, Draco slid forward and took a better look at the infrastructure that they patrol units were tightly guarding.

 _"Hm...compared to the other houses in the village, that ones much smaller than the rest. The material that's holding the foundation together looks flimsy too. I wonder if I can somehow break into it?"_

The blonde weighed his current options and chewed over his available actions. Looking over the ground, he picked up a nearby brick and gripped it in his right hand. He then waited for an incoming patrol unit to walk near his hiding location before tossing the slab to a far distance.

"Oi, rookie, did you hear that?"

The accompanying Death Eater swiveled his head around trying to locate the source of the sound. Giving a nonchalant shrug, he then answered, "It's probably nothing."

"I don't care, we have to do our due diligence just in case. That's an order."

Hearing a sigh come out from the other person, the other person curtly responded, "Right."

Draco considered the plan to be successful since he had managed to isolate the nearby Death Eater. Sneaking up behind the lone individual, the blonde swiftly wrapped his right arm around the guard's neck while covering the mouth with the other. He held the Death Eater in the chokehold for a few more seconds until he felt the body become limp. Dropping the guard, he quickly swapped robes and transferred his inventory before walking out into the open.

Even if his physical description didn't match the previous robe's owner, he figured that none of them really knew each other. Plus, the shroud of darkness was providing an extra source of camouflage for the disguise.

Draco made sure to stiffen his stance and pull down his hood, all in an effort to mimic the patrollers. In terms of priority, he knew what he had to do, however, the prospect of leaving an unknown area unexplored, especially one that was close by, did not sit well with him. Walking over to the marked building, the wizard reached out and took hold of the door knob.

It was locked.

"Hey!"

The young man blinked as he turned around to face the speaker.

"For Merlin's sake, I know what the captain said, but stop checking that door, we already confirmed it being locked like a million times already. The coast is clear, let's go check the next sector."

While it might've been easier for him to knock this one out and go back into hiding, he was bereft of important information. This would be an excellent opportunity for him to gather any intelligence while continuing to scope the village. If push came to shove and he was on the verge of getting caught imitating the downed Death Eater, he could always retreat to the background again.

With his mind firmly made up, he obediently followed along while letting the other person do all the talking. Draco almost came to regret this decision as the topics ranged from borderline useless to being outright inane. Luckily, his sanity and patience were spared from further torture when they passed through a burned down building.

"Ah, right! You weren't here with us when this happened, but you see that part of the wall over there?"

Draco traced his eyes around the Hogmeade borders and easily noticed an area that was covered by some wooden planks. Curious as to the reason why this was brought up, he tilted his head before nodding in confirmation.

"That's the hole that those bloody Evolved used to penetrate Hogsmeade."

Draco's altered voice matched the man's he'd knocked out well enough, so he chanced speaking so as to not seem suspicious, "Is it just covered with-?"

"Loose material? Yeah. Of course, there's always someone standing guard at that-" The man paused and squinted at the apparently abandoned post.

The speaker scratched his head while searching around for the aforementioned guard. Either the man was wildly hallucinating, or this Death Eater was risking the entirety of all those barricaded inside of the village by abandoning the post.

"Wait, where's the damn pillock that was supposed to be stationed here?"

"Should we go look?" Draco asked, trying his best to stay in character.

"No, you stay here and keep watch, alright? I'll go do a status check, there might be a report about this somewhere."

Draco watched the higher ranking Death Eater walk away from the improvised barricade. He stood still for a second, wondering if this could be some sort of test, or a trap. This was much too convenient and easy for his taste.

Need to find an alternative entrance? Check.

Be left alone so that he could sneak Granger in undetected? Done.

Have everything completed without raising any suspicions or detections? Odd.

This last item on the list was the one that worried him the most, since things never went this smoothly. He had learned early on, both from his years in Slytherin and tangling with Potter, to always be skeptical of every outcome until the last possible second. Even if everything seemed to be running in accordance to schedule, there was always the chance of a mishap – or Potter and his ilk interfering in his business.

Draco would, at least for now, proceed, but he would do so with extreme caution. Walking over to the poorly mended wall, the young wizard gave it a few taps with his hand. He wasn't a carpenter by any stretch of the imagination, his snobbish upbringing and surroundings looking down upon those that dirtied their hands. However, even he was able to ascertain that the patchwork job was done without much thought put into it.

 _"I'm sure they at least put enough work into it so that I won't be able to kick it down."_

He was completely wrong in his assumption.

Draco swiftly thrust his foot at the wooden planks, which resulted in his leg shooting straight out through to the other side. He paused for a moment, wondering if the loud noise that he had manufactured would alert any nearby Death Eater.

His luck was still intact.

Draco briefly wondered if these fortunate turns of events were being set up so that he would fail that much harder in the future. Not wanting to dwell on such speculations, he stuffed the thought deep into the recesses of his mind. Destroying the rest of the makeshift wall, he then walked past the outer shell and was greeted by the outdoors.

 _"Hm, maybe I should've just left some parts of this intact so that I could cover it back up. Well, what's done is done, I have to hurry and find that Mudblood and get back before that captain person returns."_

With the route secured, he began to walk towards where he last left the witch. He grimaced while put on the mask. Now that Draco thought about it, even though he had told her to wait for his return, he highly doubted that she would listen to him. Letting out a sigh, he could only hope that she was still right where he left her.

 **[She let out a small sigh before telling me that Draco went to go look for Hermione]**

* * *

Hermione watched the mercenary rudely ignore her and disappear off into the depths of Hogsmeade. She folded her arms against her chest and stared off into the sunset, feeling the cool breeze brush against her hair. Perhaps Dragon was used to having subservient people around him and having them obey his commands. Maybe the witches in his life were the type that waited for things to be done for them.

Surveying the desolated land, the witch let out a sigh and shook her head. While the landscape of Britain was going through such destructive changes, she had been wistfully ignorant of the entire situation. She hated to admit it, but if the school invasion had never occurred, then she would have been blissfully insensible of the conditions that the war was creating.

Hermione felt the cool air brush against the side of her head, lightly sweeping her bangs to the side. A small smile graced her face. It would be unfortunate for the hireling, but he would have to learn that this witch did not like to approach life in a passive manner. Instead of sitting on her hand and letting the mercenary do all the work, she was going to make some contributions as well.

She followed the circular path of the wall, tracing her fingers along the cold surface. The night was oddly void of any noise that indicated the usual melodies of life, replaced in its stead by a hoot of a singular owl. Even if this was just but a microcosm of the war's devastation, she now had a feel for the utter despair that the victims were experiencing.

Hermione stopped herself when she came to the Hogsmeade entrance. A frown entered her face after she realized that the masked man was correct in his assumption. The large front gates to the village were closed while being heavily barred and bolted from the inside. She had almost overlooked the wards that were placed on the outer edges of the doorway. So even if she managed to overcome the obstacles that were obstructing the gate, there was no telling how the wards would react.

Sighing once again, she discarded the idea of going through the front gate and figured that she had wasted enough time. Slightly disappointed with her lack of success, she began the trek back to the waiting spot. However, her venture was short lived when she heard hints of agonizing pain off by the dark woods.

Hermione cautiously walked over to the source of the voice.

"Ugh... h-hurts...w-why me..."

Hermione's natural desire to assist those in need quickly began to surface, as she started to approach the sick sounding individual. Her interest in the matter decreased when she took note of the person's garments, which indicated the person being part of the Dark side. Slowing herself down, she hid behind a nearby tree and watched the Death Eater with a sense of morbid curiosity.

The Death Eater was hunched over near a tree, violently shivering and rocking while holding the base of their left arm. Hermione bit her lower lip as the quandary was upsetting the balance of her sensibility.

What was the right thing to do in this situation?

The aforementioned person was an enemy that belonged to the other side and would have no hesitation in murdering her if they were to ever meet on the battlefield. Heck, forget the war, just from the status of her blood they would outright kill her without second thought. Everything about the war should be straightforward: black and white, dark versus light. This should not even be an issue for her since it was clear which side she was fighting for.

However, that was the source of her inner turmoil. Should she ignore those that needed assistance, even if they were considered the enemies? Would she be considered a traitor if she helped an ailing Death Eater? There were so many other questions that were muddling her mind. None of this had ever cropped up when she was running around with Harry and Ron, but now that she was essentially alone, she was being exposed to the raw realities of the brutal war.

Still, at the end of the day, they were all human beings, and they all depended on one another to uphold the standards of society. To forego this very fact would not make them any better than menial, mindless creatures.

"Gah...stop! I-I didn't know...please h-have mercy..."

It was a terrible sight to behold as the lonely Death Eater suddenly collapsed to the floor and vomited a thick black liquid. Afterward, he unfurled the sleeves of the robe, exposing the insignia of those that followed Voldemort—the Dark Dark. The mark itself was giving off a dark purple glow but did not appear to be radiating magic.

Hermione couldn't help but have her inquisitive mind run down some hypotheses and theories on what she was currently witnessing. From her previous Intel and research of the Dark Mark, she knew that only certain inner members were given the 'honor' of such branding. There was also the matter of its usage and how it normally reacts. However, it would seem as though everything she knew about the Mark was totally being negated by the scene in front of her.

Was the Dark Mark given to anyone now? Was it altered to give it different functions? Could that even be the genuine article? There was no possible way for her to answer any of these questions without doing another in depth study of the Mark.

Any possibility of her making a decision was taken away when the Death Eater suddenly stopped shaking and slowly rose to his feet. Covering the still-glowing mark, he steadily began to walk back towards the village. Not seeing any other available option, Hermione decided to follow the person in hopes of both finding a different entryway and an opportunity to further investigate the new Dark Mark.

Just to be safe, the brunette made sure to keep a fair distance between herself and the individual that she was tailing. She had a hunch that the man's discomfort from the strange condition would distract him from being able to give proper attention to his environment. Regardless, she decided to throw caution to the wind and followed through whenever there were enough trees between them.

Eventually, Hermione saw the Death Eater stop in front of a wall, give it a few taps, then jump straight into it. Approaching the same section, the witch reached out and touched the solid base of the outer fence. She was surprised at having discovering that such an intricate design had been plotted in the area. If her conjecture held true, then the core magic that held this together was essentially the same as the one from platform nine and three-quarters.

Closing her eyes, the young woman took a deep breath as she emulated the movements from the previous Death Eater. It was just but a brief moment for her to switch from the outside to the inner walls of Hogsmeade. However, the aftermath of the instantaneous warping had left her feeling a bit disoriented and queasy.

 _"That definitely wasn't the same, in fact it felt like I just did a Side-Along-Apparition, but with unknown coordinates to the location, the caster being very sloppy with the entire procedure, and then almost botching the landing."_

Holding her stomach with the left arm, Hermione closed her eyes and took a few seconds to regain her balance. When the orientation of the room stopped spinning for her, she opened her eyes and immediately went to investigating her surroundings. The inspection was short lived since she had quickly come to a realization of where she was. But this brought about a whole new set of questions that she knew would continuously plague her.

 _"I'm at the Hog's Head inn, more specifically, it's where I expected Dragon and I to land after going through the Room of Requirement. For some reason, the secret passageway got transferred and connected to a different part of Hogsmeade. I'm definitely going to do further research on this after the war is finished."_

Mentally adding the task to her growing list, Hermione rubbed her eyes and berated herself. She had almost forgotten the initial reason in following the Death Eater through the portal-like entrance. Having accomplished the primary goal of infiltrating the village, she walked over to the door to find it unlocked. Rather than going back to the secret passageway, she decided to explore Hogsmeade for a bit.

The first thing she noticed when she walked out of the tavern was that the streets were pitch black. It was incredibly difficult to see anything in front of her, with the only hints of illumination hanging from a few selected buildings.

Using her memory of the village as a map, she carefully guided herself to the first available light source. But, as soon as her perception of the scenery became clearer, she felt someone grab the back of her hair.

"Well, well, well—what do we have here?" a low scraggly voice sneered as a Death Eater came into view. "How did such a pretty little thing like you wander into our territory, hm?"

Hermione cursed at her own naïveté. She should've been more careful and avoided going directly to the light. But, considering just how hard it was to even see a few yards without assistance, she had believed that the shroud of darkness would provide enough of a cover for her.

Of course, there would be guards stationed around the village.

Luckily for her, this one appeared to be dimwitted and without any nearby help. All she had to do was take out her wand, stun him, and then get away before anyone noticed it.

"Hey Lyra! I caught this one stumbling around here!"

Much to Hermione's chagrin, her chance to escape vanished when the guard's partner came out from behind them. Still, the appearance of another Death Eater would not necessarily mean that she had become their prisoner. It just meant that-

"How many times do I have to tell you not to use my name? We're part of the Death Eaters now, act like an anonymous soldier for once. Also, why are you holding her down from the hair?"

The one called Lyra seemed to be the smarter one between the two and was female to boot. A small smirk started to form at the corner of Hermione's lips as it reminded her too much of the dynamic that existed between her, Harry, and Ron. All they needed was a third member to be added, and it would essentially be the 'dark' version of them.

"Make sure you keep her incapacitated by pinning her wrists together behind the back. Just remember that a low probability means that it's not zero, got it? Also, where is Third Silver? Did he not say that he was using the restroom? Is he not back yet?"

"Third Silver...you mean Adrian?"

Hermione was thankful for the blinding darkness as it hid the smile that was currently gracing her face. She was sure that if neither of them were forced to choose a side, then they would have become fast friends, either that or great rivals. It was saddening to note that she would be unable to further pursue any kind of relationship with the Death Eater named Lyra.

Perhaps if both of them survived the war, then she would look into befriending this person. For now, they were enemies, and she had to find a way to liberate herself. Lightly struggling against the new bonds that were placed around her wrist, the bushy-haired witch grimaced when she felt her captive swat her head.

"Hey! Don't think I don't know your trying to pull," the Death Eater grunted as he pulled against her restraints. "Don't even think about it, yeah?"

He then spat on the floor before continuing to speak, "Now see here missy, I know that we can't be using our spells around here, at least not freely anyway. But these ropes are mighty swell in holding you down, yeah?"

Hermione's ears perked up when she heard the Death Eater make mention of not being able to use magic. As far as she knew, McGonagall only gave her a warning not to wield it during the trip. No rhyme or reason had been given as it was presumed that the trip would be short enough not to raise concerns over the matter. Plus, if she did get into trouble, then the hired wand was supposed to aid her.

Speaking of the mercenary, she wondered just how incensed he would be to find her missing once he returned from trying to discover an alternative route. She supposed that she could regret the decision in trying to further explore the village. However, this would not be the appropriate time to be mulling over the results, but rather obtaining her freedom.

"So tell me," Hermione said in a tone barely above a whisper. "With all these impressive wards you guys installed all around the village, why can't you freely use magic?"

She was both fishing for information while trying to stall for time in hopes of finding a viable means of escaping.

"Well, as ya know, the Evolved love ta hunt in pack and group, with lots and lots o' magic in places, yeah?"

"Seamus...?" Hermione caught herself saying as the speaker began the explanation. The accent was similar, but the tonality was a lot deeper, plus she had just left him back at Hogwarts. Speaking of the school, she wondered how everyone was doing? She shook her head and turned her attention back to the Death Eater.

"Well, it turns out that the wards ain't good enough ta hold a group of 'em back, ya know? So rather than risk 'em coming to us, we just keep a low enough profile and have all of our spells down to a minimum, right Lyra?"

 _"That's an awful lot of information that he divulged to me. I'm surprised that he's given me so much information without any consequence from the others. Unless he believes that this isn't anything important to withhold? And what was it he said, the Evolved?"_ Hermione thought to herself. Looking over to the female Death Eater, she swore that even with the mask on, she could see the scowl on her face.

"Shut it you fool, it's bad enough that I'm stuck here with you babbling with the prisoner and answering her questions unnecessarily, but Third Silver seems to also delight upon practicing insolence, rather than obey simple orders from the captain."

Luck was not on the girl's side as another Death Eater seemingly popped out from the corner. The trend of the growing numbers of gathering guards began to alarm her. From the way things looked, she wouldn't have to be worried about the success rate of her escape plans, but rather surviving an ordeal of being held hostage by the dark.

No, that absolutely could not be allowed to happen. Under no circumstance would she concede to being held in captivity by the Dark Lord and his lowly cronies. Still, her steeled conviction would all be for naught if she was unable to do something about her unfortunate circumstance.

"Third Silver, I know you were given permission to use the bathroom, but did you lock the door to the access waypoint after using it? Also, were you not told to report back to me when you were done? Where did you go afterward?"

The one that was holding onto Hermione rubbed the back of his head before quipping, "Come now Lyra, cut the guy some slack will ya? He had the...what ya call it? Arm fire or something? So he was real safe, ya know?"

"First of all, it's firearm you twit," Lyra snapped back. "Secondly, there's a reason why rules and protocols exist, and breaking them serves us no real purpose except to hinder our ability to survive within the walls of this forsaken village!"

Hermione squinted her eyes toward the one called Third Silver and chewed on her lips for a few seconds. The person definitely appeared familiar to her, yet there wasn't a name or value attached to this individual. Realization hit her once she recognized that it was the same one that she had found hurling out near the trees. Although she was still disgusted by the memory, curiosity over the Mark and the person's condition superseded the former. The timing for her question never came when another Death Eater walked up to them.

"Oh! Captain, sir! Silver unit one-three-five reporting for duty," Lyra said bowing to the person while straightening her back and standing at attention. The other two guards emulated her actions.

The brunette saw the one labeled captain stare at her for a few seconds before looking back at the other soldiers. She found it incredibly vexing with doubt beginning to creep into her mind. Did his eyes latch onto her because he was able to distinguish her identity? Worse, did he have some sort of malicious intentions forming in his mind?

"Captain?" Lyra repeated. "Has there been news from the superiors?"

Even though Hermione was surrounded by the enemy, she couldn't help but feel something off about the one labeled captain. Her suspicions were only further confirmed by the way the current speaker was reacting.

"Are you alright sir? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No," the captain finally responded in an odd, low gravelly sounding voice. "Leave the hostage here and return to your posts. Immediately."

Hermione could tell that Lyra wanted to oppose the command, but rather than articulate it, she merely nodded before following the orders. After getting roughly shoved into the waiting hands of the captain, the rest of the members quickly dispersed and began to return to their designated post.

The two walked in silence before the lone Death Eater pushed Hermione against a building. For a moment fears for the worst began to creep into her mind.

"Why the hell are you here?!"

Hermione opened her mouth then promptly closed it and blinked a few times. She didn't know how, but it seemed like Dragon was quite a competent mercenary since he was able to rescue her without causing a single ounce of trouble. Perhaps McGonagall's faith in this one wasn't unwarranted after all.

"I got caught by the Death Eaters," she deadpanned once she was able to regain her wit. The brunette wasn't going to admit it, but she was grateful for the relief that flooded her once she realized who the captain was.

"You gobby little shite, I mean, why the fuck were you in position to get caught in the first place?"

Hermione shook her head, not feeling up to keeping pace with the caustic argument. Not only were her wrists still bound, but she was also growing tired of the trip. All she wanted to do now was meet up with the Order and take a long nap.

"Look, I'm sorry alright? It's just that I saw a sickly Death Eater at the outskirts of town and then became curious at the odd behavior of the Dark Mark. One thing led to another, and I somehow ended up following him through a secret passageway straight into the inn."

She heard the other person slam his hand onto the nearby wall, "Your safety is my responsibility, and I will not risk the wrath of the Order just because you decided to satisfy your Gryffindorish whims. So when I tell you to..."

An awkward pause came between the two, with the sound of their breaths being the sole sounds to be heard. Hermione was unable to understand this sudden moment of hesitation from Dragon. It was still too dark for her to see anything clearly, but she was able to tell that something was definitely bothering him.

"Dragon, is something-"

* * *

"Out of all the stupid things!" Draco mumbled under his breath. When he initially went to go find the Mudblood, she was nowhere to be found. There were no signs of where she might've disappeared to, and on top of that, he had the difficult task of returning to the heavily guarded village and act like nothing had happened.

He had to do all this within a very short time constraint. The only thing he could go by was the fact that there weren't any signs of a struggle anywhere. This meant that she was being a typical Gryffindor and had went off into Hogsmeade by herself. He really hoped that he could reach her before things became too hectic.

 **[Draco went back to Hogsmeade...he then...]**

Of all the luck, he had to find her captured by a group of Death Eaters. Still, he was fortunate in the fact that they believed everything they were told and didn't question a single command they were told. "We need to get out of here, now," Draco said in a resolute voice, untying the girl's wrists. Shaking his head, the Malfoy heir added, "There's no time for this, we have to leave before the place gets overrun by the Evolved"

Once again, her knowledge, or lack thereof, was apparent in situations like this, which gave her no choice but to obediently follow directions. The pair had not gone very far when they heard a bloodcurdling scream from within their proximity.

"Alright, that's our cue to go in the opposite direction and avoid the place where the scream came from Granger. Granger...?"

Draco looked over his shoulder and saw the reason why he was not getting a response back from the female – she was gone. Whipping his head back around, he saw a familiar silhouette having already gone a good distance ahead of him. He had no idea what was going through the girl's head, but he was not about to become a Squib due to the girl's reckless behavior.

Cursing inwardly at himself for both accepting the mission and taking the damning oath, the blonde hurried over to Hermione.

"You bloody twat, what did we just talk about a few seconds ago? I told you that we have to leave right now!"

Instead of the expected curt apology that was usually followed by a sarcastic comment of some sort, all Hermione did was silently point. Draco couldn't help but swing his attention toward the location.

The Death Eater named Lyra had been holding the body of Third Silver while he went through another violent bout of intractable shaking. He was also letting out low moans that were more akin to a dying animal rather than a human. Then, everything changed in an instant.

The sickly Death Eater collapsed to the floor, causing him to stop his groaning. This in turn caused Lyra to check on her fallen comrade while the third person of the group suddenly dashed up to her and started to pull on her.

"L-Lyra! W-we have ta get out! C'mon! I-I've seen something like this before, and it ain't pretty. Just leave him, 'cause if we don't leave now, then we're gonna die Lyra!"

"What? I can't just do that! We have to take him to a mediwitch to check his conditi-oof!"

It happened too fast for anyone to react in time. The hooded figure that had fainted suddenly rose to his feet and thrust his left arm out, firmly taking hold of Lyra by the neck. Then in one fell swoop the revived Death Eater threw the female Death Eater down to the hard concrete floor.

 _Crack!_

The unadulterated sound of flesh meeting hardened cement brutally rang in the air.

"Aaaaah!"

The remaining sane and conscious Death Eater screamed in terror, immediately running away from the horrible scene. Ignoring the fleeing person, the rejuvenated individual looked back at the unconscious woman and stopped.

"H-hungry...feed..."

It was then the black robes slipped off, revealing just about the entirety of his body. One of the major things that were noticeable on the individual was that he was completely pale. There were also long, thick veins that visibly ran all across his body, with outlines of his ribs awkwardly showing on his torso. His face also appeared to have lost much of its humanoid characteristics, with pupils missing from both of his eyes and disgusting foam that was dripping from its lower jaw.

Despite all these changes, the most glaring one had to do with the Dark Mark. The usual insignia of the complete Dark Mark was a skull with a long snake slithering out from the mouth. Strangely enough, the one that was shown here had the snake swallowing the skull. Not only that, but the contours of the emblem were glowing yellow while the inside was shaded with that of a teal color.

* * *

Hermione couldn't stand to watch any longer as she gripped the base of her wand and was prepared to jump in front of the transforming Death Eater. Being on alert this time around, the masked blonde grabbed hold of the witch before she was able to fulfill the Gryffindor stereotype.

"What in the name of Merlin's saggy tits are you thinking? Did hanging around with Pothead and the Weasel really make you become this barmy?"

There was something awfully familiar about the way that the derogatory comments were framed within the insult. Still, she didn't bother pursuing this since there was a much more pressing issue at hand. Doing her best to swat the other person's arm away from her, she hissed back, "Why are you stopping me from saving her? Do you really only take action when you get paid to do so? If so, then you're a completely despicable person, Dragon!"

Angrily yanking the witch down, he spat out, "You really are lacking in common sense, aren't you Granger? I told you, my job was to get you safely to the meeting point so that I could transfer you over to the Order member. Also, at this point magic doesn't affect it at all, unless you can cast a killing curse that's strong enough to penetrate a troll's skin. It's far too gone and has pretty much become one of those things we call the Evolved."

"The Evolved...?" Hermione repeated back in a softer tone.

"Yeah," Draco nodded and discreetly looked back at the thing that was now called the Evolved. A shudder ran down the core of his spine with the remembrance of his past encounters with the creatures flashing before him.

"Unless we have this powerful artifact called a firearm, there's no possible way for us to do anything about the Evolved. Now come on, if we stay here any longer, then we'll just become like Muggles in a Death Eater raid."

"Wait, you said firearms, right? Dragon, wouldn't you rather be well equipped, just in case of emergencies where neither of us could avoid an encounter with an Evolved? Well, if I can remember their conversation, then I do believe that the transmogrified being had the item on him. But, if he were like every other Death Eater then..."

Draco sighed as he knew where her train of thought was leading to. Slinging his left hand onto his right shoulder, he swung his right arm in a circular motion while cracking the tense muscles in his neck.

"I don't know what you're planning Mudblood, but don't you dare step out of line this time, got it?"

Before the conversation developed any further, the transformed Death Eater went right back to work. Stretching its left arm out, the pale creature picked Lyra up by her head and dangled her unconscious body in the air. Unfortunately for the imprisoned female, she had taken this exact moment to become responsive again.

"Nggh...huh? What? I-I-I-I ah...m-my h-h-h-h-h-h-he-ad h-urrrrrrrts..." Lyra slurred out the last word before slumping back down once again. The Evolved did not appear to be deterred in the slightest by its victim awakening as it continued to squeeze her head. As soon as she became frigid, the Dark Mark began to unceremoniously blink in a slow and controlled succession. Once the insignia returned to its core colors, the pale creature carelessly dumped the body onto the ground.

The Evolved wasn't finished just yet. Lifting its left arm into the air, it balled its hand into a tight fist before jamming it straight down Lyra's mouth. After leaving it in for a few seconds, the pale creature finally appeared to be satisfied. Slipping its arm out from the disheveled corpse, the transformed person finally walked away.

"I'll be right back; I'll just do a quick check and return, alright?"

Hermione nodded as she released the breath that she hadn't known she was holding. She couldn't help but fall to the floor and shakily lean against nearby debris. After witnessing something so grotesque unfold before her eyes, her mentality and fatigue were rapidly coming to a climax. But, she could not show weakness now since admitting to her own condition would only bring her own ruin. She would have to do her best to control her growing impulses, at least until she reached the next hideout.

* * *

Draco, on the other hand, was busy scavenging through the discarded robe and the female Death Eater's body. He had managed to find an extra set of ration cards, along with a sleek, black hand cannon. Taking a peek at the end of the barrel, he randomly aimed it at a wall before pulling the trigger.

 _Click click click_

"Worthless thing's probably broken," Draco muttered to himself and proceeded to discard the item until he was stopped by the witch.

"Oh, that's the firearm huh?" Hermione said as she tilted her head and examined it a bit closer. Draco couldn't help but blink a few times as he saw the garment that she had decided to don. He was not going to loudly admit it, but he had to give her, begrudgingly, some points for adapting to their current predicament. She had taken the dead Death Eater's robe and placed it over herself.

"Yeah, it's a gun alright. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe I've seen and read enough about them to know how to operate, at least on a very basic, fundamental level."

The masked blonde blinked a few times and then shook his head while mumbling something incoherent. Ignoring the inaudible insult, Hermione quickly examined the gun herself before giving him a quick guide on the mechanism behind the firearm.

 **[It was here that she had a slightly panicked look on her face while informing me that they collected their gatherings and began to run away]**

Draco slowed himself down to match Hermione's pace before pushing her off to the side. Looking over his shoulder, he then dashed around the corner and dove underneath a pile of rubble. Feeling a tickle at the back of his throat, he quickly covered his mouth to block any chances of his cough from becoming audible.

"Where did those intruders go?!"

"You, stay here and check the area, the two of us will go on ahead and give the rest back-up against the rampaging Evolved. Remember, even with the anti-Apparition wards and the temporary isolation debuffs, using any kind of magic will only attract the Evolved to your location."

Doing his best to protect his face from the falling detritus, Draco began to slowly crawl out from his current position. Just when he was starting to gain some ground, he heard the lone Death Eater yell.

"You're one of the intruders aren't you? Don't move, or I'll kill you."

Draco felt his blood freeze for a second, wondering just how the guard had been able to discover him so quickly. This notion was dismissed when he heard a feminine voice answer back. Grumbling to himself over this mishap, he quietly rolled out from the collected debris and leaned against a destroyed building. Making his way to the edge, he then cautiously poked his head out and looked toward the direction where the conversation was occurring.

"You dare point that wand in my direction and label me an intruder?" Hermione responded, holding her head up in the air while giving off a sense of aristocracy.

"Uh...huh? But why were you..."

While the lone Death Eater was distracted in obtaining more information from the witch, Draco had taken the time sneak up behind the person. As soon as he was in position, he leaped forward and tightly wrapped one arm around the guard's neck while positioning the other on top of his face, effectively blocking his nostrils and mouth. The guard flailed around for a brief moment before his movements ceased struggling.

Draco retrieved another ration card from the body before casually dropping the inanimate guard onto the ground. Hermione bit her lower lip as she shook her head before asking,

"Dragon, did you have to kill him? Couldn't you have just knocked him unconscious?"

Draco looked straight at the speaker before responding, "My job is to keep you safe Granger, at least until we reach the designated spot. Keeping the enemy alive means that there's a likely chance for them to come back and turn everything into utter shambles." Giving a slight pause, he then added, "But no, he's not dead."

Not wanting to waste any more time, the pair began to head for the exit again. It was a tricky situation to traverse through since the village was now on high alert. There were numerous times when they were forced to duck behind covers or take a detour from their route. Their troubles did not stop when they had reached the exit.

"This is complete bullocks," Draco hissed under his mask, observing the multiple units that were patrolling the area. Here they were, just one exit away from their destination, yet it felt completely out of reach.

"Dragon," the bushy-haired witch murmured, poking him on the shoulders. "I'll say this quick since we don't have much time. Let's just get out of Hogsmeade for now and try again tomorrow, after all the commotion has died down?"

"Hey! Look, over there! I see something!"

Both Draco and Hermione jumped to their feet and ran out from where they were hiding.

"I think those were the intruders! Don't let them escape, after them!"

While the two were chased through the dark alleyways of the village, minor spells began to fly in their direction. Confused by the sudden usage of magic, Hermione lost her balance for a second, which threatened to have her topple over and land flat on the floor. Luckily for her, Draco was close enough to scoop her up from behind, helping her quickly regain her balance.

They were able to get right back on track without the enemy gaining too much on them. Making a sharp turn at the corner, the pair spotted an empty building and immediately went inside of it. Both of them held their breath as they heard sounds of footsteps going straight past them. However, they knew that it was only a matter of time before the Death Eaters began their search of the adjoining infrastructures.

Going over to the opposite side of the building, Draco waved her over and began to walk across the backyard. He was only able to take a few steps before the path in front of him became impossible to traverse. There was some type of large ditch that unequivocally separated his side from the rest of Hogsmeade. Before he could make sense of what the gigantic hole was for, he felt someone push him from the back.

A sense of panic hurriedly filled Draco when he saw himself falling straight into the empty ditch. Not thinking about his actions, he attempted to latch onto the nearest thing to help him out of this situation. Unfortunately, this turned out to be an equally confused and shrieking Hermione, which made her tumble down with the falling mercenary.

"Fuck...I guess you Mudbloods are just as clumsy as your blood status indicates."

Just when Hermione was about to retort, she decided to hold herself back as both of them heard a Death Eater loudly shout.

"Hey! I think I heard something down at the water tunnel!"

"I have an idea, just place your _ **Lumos**_ down there, and let's see if we can see what caused that noise. No need to risk going down there if it's one of those magic-sucking creatures."

Promptly getting back on their feet, the duo started to move again. At this point, they had no clue where they were heading, but it was apparent to both of them that they could not afford to stay exposed in open space.

The two of them did their best to avoid being caught by the searching spotlight. They made sure to press their backs against the wall and only advanced when the spell's attention was shifted to another direction.

"Are you sure you heard something? I don't see anything down here!"

When the pair reached the end of the irrigation tunnel, all they saw was a rundown shack. Not bothering to wait, Draco pointed to the tiny building as he said in a whisper.

"Granger, go check to see what's inside and wait for me there. I'm going to see if there's anything we can use to get us out of here. So don't move, alright?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and decided to listen to the directions that were given to her. She knew that this was not the right time or place to be quarreling with the mercenary. Walking over to the door, the witch found no locks placed upon it. Swinging it open, she stepped inside and took a look around the shack.

It was a dusty tool shed, with most of the items seemingly untouched for what appeared to be ages. Identifying an unused candle on the desk, she picked it up and stared at it for a few seconds. Taking out her wand, she then cast a small spell to light the tip of the wax stick.

Even though the unwritten agreement for all the inhabitants of the magical world was not to use magic, for some odd reason she found these particular Death Eaters contradicting that very rule. She had a feeling that it had something to do with the wards that they had used in response to the sighting of the Evolved, but without a clear explanation she was unable to confirm her suspicions.

Hermione let out a sigh as she stared off at the window. Was this not supposed to be a simple trip, one where she went from the school to the hideout? Why did things have to go horribly wrong? She supposed that she could thank her lucky stars that she was still alive and in one piece.

Hermione's musings were interrupted by the sudden entrance of the hired wand. Instead of greeting her, the young man went straight for the table and splayed a map on top of it. Squinting at the scroll, he then waved her over.

"Granger, bring that light over here so that I can see this thing better."

It was a simple procedure, at least compared to all of the events that had transpired between them. However, after transferring ownership of the candle over to blonde wizard, Hermione stood frozen on the spot. For a second, she did not know how to react or respond, chalking up her wild imagination to fatigue.

When she rubbed her eyes and looked at the mercenary's face again, there was no doubt that her mind was not playing any tricks on her. Then in a flash, all of the past emotions that she had repressed after the passing of the former Headmaster began to return with a vicious twist of vengeance.

Draco Malfoy.

Out of all the students, this one was the reason that the Death Eaters had been able to invade Hogwarts.

It was him that led to the death of Albus Dumbledore, one of the only wizards that still made Voldemort fear mortality.

He was also the bane of her existence and had made it his life mission to constantly remind her of her inferiority within the magical community.

Draco fuckin' Malfoy.

Hermione slowly reached into the robe and tightly gripped her wand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: JK Rowlings owns the intellectual property behind Harry Potter, I'm just here living in her world.**

* * *

 **[If they didn't escape from the village the conventional way, where did they go?]**

Draco studied the map for a few more minutes. Time was at a premium and if he wasn't able to ascertain anything new from the parchment, then there would be little to no choice in where they would have to go next.

 _"The village is on lockdown and the closest exit to the meeting point will most likely be heavily guarded. Unless there's some sort of hidden passageway that Granger has placed under a Fidelius, the only route I can think of is the sewers that I just found."_

Scratching his blonde hair, Draco let out an exasperated sigh and frowned. For Merlin's sake, the thought of even setting foot into the disgusting gutters made his skin crawl. Not only would it be highly unsanitary, but they would also be delving into unknown territory. If anything, he would prefer to stay on grounds that he recognized. Even if there were hostiles crawling around everywhere, he would be able to plan, react and adjust accordingly.

Draco rubbed the back of his neck and stretched his right arm into the air. It had been a long day but he couldn't rest just yet. He still had a mission to complete, which, fortunately for him, would soon be finished. Letting out a large yawn, he felt some of the pent up pressure being released from his body. The entire day had spiraled into one big clusterfuck of a mess, taxing him both physically and mentally.

"Focus on isolating the Evolved and contain it from rampaging any further," a voice outside the shed commanded.

Snapping his attention back to the task at hand, Draco shook his head and slammed his hand against the table. That voice he had just heard was a little too close for comfort. If he really couldn't find an alternative path soon, then there was no other remaining option for them to follow.

Slinging his left hand up to his right shoulder, Draco swung his head around while rotating his arm. No matter how many times he traced the map of Hogsmeade, he was unable to locate a different route. He didn't want to do it, but desperate times called for desperate situations.

"Hey Granger," Draco called out, waving his arm forward, "Mind coming to take a look at this? I think a fresh set of eyes would be helpful here-"

" _EXPELLIARMUS!_ " a female voice screamed out, making the blond-haired wizard momentarily throw his arms into the air.

" _DEPULSO_!" Hermione followed up the disarming charm with a banishing one, effectively making him fly straight across the room.

Draco's body loudly slammed onto the wall of the tool shed, leaving the blonde groaning in pain. Doing his best to dull the aching of his sides, he sharply took in a few breaths before shakily releasing them. It took him a moment to recover his wits while his head was still swimming from the surprise attack.

In normal circumstances, Draco would've been well guarded with his wand being ready at the drop of a hat. However, that would be for any danger that he considered a potential threat to the welfare of him completing his mission. The thought of the Mudblood ever attacking him had never crossed his mind. He figured that as long as he kept a sharp Occlumency-like focus upon finishing the quest, the only danger he faced was her getting under his skin.

Perhaps if he had taken her presence more seriously, he would not have found himself in such a predicament now.

 _"Feels like a Hippogriff just trampled over me."_ Draco thought managed to roll his body so that he was on his hands and knees. Letting out a weak groan, he groggily tried to push himself back up when he immediately stopped himself. He was utterly confused at the moment on seeing the tip of a wand pointed right at his face.

Was it something that he had said? Perhaps this was all a big misunderstanding? He tried to remember what it was that could have set the Mudblood off on this violent tangent.

"What...Granger...?"

"Draco Malfoy," her voice was barely above a whisper, yet he was able to feel it dripping with murderous intent. He was still befuddled over this venomous tone that was aimed at him. Then it hit him with the weight of a Bludger to the side of his head.

She had just said his name!

What could have given him away? There was no bloody way she would react in such a spiteful manner unless she had been able to discover his identity. He made sure to carefully guard his opinions, and, aside from a few snide remarks that he had hurled at her, there should have been no possible way for her to arrive to such a conclusion.

 _"Unless..."_ Draco thought to himself, dread overtaking all of his other senses. Taking a deep breath, he shakily brought his hands up to his face. It was just as he had feared. His fingers scraped against human flesh, rather than the gaudy Death mask.

Even if he had wanted to blame this on fate, Draco knew that what was done was done. There was no use in trying to cover his tracks or pretending that none of this had happened. He had messed up and now had to live with the consequences.

"I'll give you something that you never gave Dumbledore – a chance."

"Granger..." Draco weakly tried to protest when he saw the tip of Hermione's wand begin to glow. This wasn't a time for negotiations; he could tell that if he took one wrong step then she would have no qualms in watching him drop dead or at least lose his consciousness in this Merlin forsaken village.

"No Malfoy! Tell me, tell me why I shouldn't just get rid of you here and now! Give me one good reason why I should trust you, or I swear to Merlin my face will be the last thing you'll see!"

At this point, Hermione's emotions were getting the best of her, letting her anger completely consume her. It was also clear that it was causing her magical core to fluctuate, making the witch's wand constantly vibrate and flicker with an unstable glow.

There was no way that mere words could reach her at this point. He knew that drastic measures had to be taken so that he wouldn't forfeit his life. Not wanting to waste any more time, Draco raised his left arm in the air to ensure his intent of non-aggressiveness. Wincing in pain, he slowly took out his wand, rotated his wrist, and held up the wand so that it was visible for both of them.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, swear upon my magic that I will not intentionally harm you during this trip and that I am only here to fulfill my obligations to the Order."

After his wand emitted a powerful shockwave, confirming his oath, Draco looked back at the bushy-haired witch. He could no longer see the cold, silent fury that was featured on her face but instead a mixture of disbelief and curiosity had replaced it.

"Malfoy, did you really...?" Hermione tried to finish her question but appeared to be at a loss for words.

Feeling much of the tension finally dissipate, he let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Ugh..." Draco groaned and spat some blood out before collapsing to the floor. Letting out a nervous chuckle, he sputtered out a few more coughs before rolling to his side. The worst was over, he had to start moving again. Showing any signs of weakness now would only lead to his own downfall.

 _"Too bad I'm out of smokes, I would Crucio a Muggle to the inch of their lives just to have one right now."_

Slowly getting to his feet, Draco ignored the glare that he was still receiving from Hermione. Since they were past the stage of pure animosity, he figured that he would not be getting blasted from the back anytime soon. At least he hoped that this was true, otherwise there was no way he would be able to stay awake if he got hit by another big spell.

Limping over to the table, Draco pressed his weight down onto his arms and numbly stared at the map. Even with the short intermission, nothing about their situation had changed, they still needed to find an alternative exit. However, there was no possible way that he could focus on the mission, not with his body still trying to recover.

"G-Granger..." Draco licked his dry lips and gathered some saliva to lubricate his parched throat. He wanted to say something to her but his mind drew a blank. It was impossible to ignore all the bad history between them. Not wanting to give the witch an excuse to hit him with another spell, he chose to keep silent.

The awkward tension was quickly broken by the ongoing chaos surrounding the village.

"Tactical retreat! We have to regroup with the others! No! Don't go near them!"

 _ **CRASH**_

"What?" Hermione cried out when she saw that it was an Evolved that had come through the window.

"Granger! Run!" Panic began to set in when Draco saw the witch being completely petrified by the appearance of the monster. Not wanting to face the failure portion of the oaths he had taken, he ran toward the creature and tackled it with reckless abandon, slamming it against the wall. Draco knew that the pale demon was slightly deterred from the surprise attack and would only need a few seconds to get back on its feet.

"We don't have any time to waste," Draco yelled out in desperation, "Hurry up and get out Granger!"

Unfortunately, the warning went unheeded with the Evolved recovering much faster than expected. The monster pried itself off of the wall and bore its mouth in a menacing fashion. Letting out a vicious snarl, the creature squinted its eyes at Draco before making a mad dash towards him.

* * *

Hermione felt utterly helpless and unable to do anything while watching the event unfold before her eyes. She saw the horrid monster run straight at Draco and easily overpower him, pouncing on top of him. It was apparent to her what would happen if she didn't do anything to help her blonde nemesis.

Yes, she still despised Draco's very existence.  
Yes, she still wanted nothing more than for the Blonde to simply disappear.  
Yes, a part of her wanted nothing more than to leave him to this cruel fate.

However, Hermione wasn't the type to ignore those in need of help. Especially if there was any way she could be of assistance.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on channeling her magic toward the tip of her finger before storing it in the wand. Hermione then waved the stick around before aiming it at the Evolved and shouted, _"Stupify!"_

The stunner came soaring out from her wand, hitting the back of the Evolved. The problem was that it did not produce the intended result since the creature was still conscious and standing. If she didn't know any better, then she could've sworn it had somehow absorbed the spell. Much to her continued dismay, the only thing that she was able to accomplish was diverting the monster's attention toward herself.

Desperately tightening her grip around her wand, Hermione drew upon her magic before firing off a Cutting Hex at the Evolved. The creature swatted the spell away, seemingly unhurt by it. She tried to repeat the process again only to find herself inexplicably failing. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was barely able to support her own weight.

The only thing she was able to ascertain was that she had most likely overdone it with her extreme reaction upon finding out the identification of the mercenary. After she had foolishly spent an exorbitant amount of energy on the situation with Draco, she was both mentally and emotionally drained. What she needed now was either a Strengthening Solution or some time to collect her bearings. Unfortunately, Hermione would not be afforded any of the aforementioned options.

 _"N-not now..."_ Hermione bitterly thought and saw the frightening creature begin to approach her. All the animosity that she had mustered to face her blonde-haired nemesis was now replaced with fear.

Once the Evolved came within striking distance, Hermione tried a different tactic – she wildly flailed away in an attempt to fend it off. The results were as impressive as the Chudley Cannons' vying for a top spot in the Quidditch league - trying their best but never good enough. Easily swatting away her futile attack, the creature knocked her down onto the ground. Jumping into the air, it then landed on top of the witch and let out a small snarl.

Hermione despondently tried to get back up, only to have the Evolved knock her right back down. Once she saw the creature raise its left arm into the air, her eyes widened in complete terror. This was the same position that the female Death Eater had been forced into before her gruesome demise. Was the same thing going to happen to her?

There were many things that were churning in her mind, but as soon as the Evolved extended its left hand onto Hermione's head and tightened its grip, regret was the only thing she felt. This was it, she was going to die here and all because she had decided to fulfill the whims of her Gryffindor-like tendencies. Why had she decided to save Draco in the first place?

 _"Which afterlife will I be going to?"_ Hermione grimly thought when the Evolved finally raised her into the air and began squeezing her head. Just like the Death Eater previously, her body had started to violently convulse while the creature's arm glowed.

 _ **Bang!**_

The Evolved suddenly loosened its grip on Hermione, unceremoniously dropping her. Letting out an aberrant cackling sound from the back of its throat, it clumsily stumbled around for a few seconds before emanating a high-pitched screech. It then plopped onto the floor before rolling around, wildly writhing and thrashing about before collapsing into a pile of lifeless flesh.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and let out a small groan before backing away from the corpse. From what she could see, there was a large hole in the middle of its forehead, and that was apparently enough to kill it. Taking a deep breath, she shakily gave the Evolved a few taps and braced herself for its sudden reemergence.

No response, the abomination was dead.

Hermione blinked a few times and peered up from where she had heard the loud gunshot. It was Draco, and he had used the firearm to save her life. Well, that much was obvious since he was the only one in the vicinity that held the weapon.

 _"I suppose the magical oath was good for something,"_ she mused, thanking the Founders for binding Draco to her life. She wasn't under any delusion that he had rescued her out of goodwill, but for self-preservation.

"Hey! I heard a firearm getting discharged down by the water tunnel! Go check it out."

Shaking his head and crossing his arm, Draco impatiently tapped his foot and growled, "Get up Granger, the other Death Eaters are coming, so we have to leave now."

Heading over to the door, he added, "I found something while exploring the back of this tiny hut. I'm not sure if it's an exit, but it's the only option that I see fit in this situation."

 **[She paused for a second, bearing an expression of amusement on her face before telling me how they went to the aforementioned location]**

Once the pair arrived at the point of interest, the only thing remaining was to open the entryway to the sewers. It was at this moment that Hermoine sighed before shaking her head and speaking up.

"Malfoy, I'm going to be honest with you, now that I know it was you who was helping me. I don't think I can go along with you anymore." Closing her eyes, she then crossed her arms and continued, "I'm not sure if I can handle being anywhere near you, so how about we go our separate way from here."

Draco's eyes almost bulged out from their sockets when he heard this sudden statement from Hermione. After everything that he had done to keep her safe, she would have him abandon her? Not only did he have a magically binding contract with McGonagall, but he also had one with the Mudblood. In any other circumstance, he would've liked nothing more than to sneer at her, insult her, and then gone about his own business. The risk of her getting injured or dying was too high, especially when the village was getting overrun with the Evolved.

"Retreat and regroup with the other units! No! Don't cast spe-argh!"

Draco cupped his mouth with both of his hands and stared at the girl. He knew that for every second that ticked by from his inactivity, the risk of being caught in a deadly encounter would increase. Not only were Death Eaters on their way, but who knew when another demonic creature would come and attack them?

Yes, Draco valued his life, but he held his magical core in higher esteem. The very idea of becoming a useless squib was so repugnant that he admitted of wanting to rather forfeit the right to live than to continue such an abnormal existence.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his Occlumency barriers while convincing himself that what he was about to do next did not have the ill intent of harming the witch. It was a risky plan, but if he executed this fast enough then neither of them would be in any danger. Drawing up his wand, Draco focused on gathering just enough energy for him to cast a Stinging Jinx at Hermione.

"Ouch! Malfoy, what was that for?"

Unperturbed by her bland accusation, Draco immediately began laying the foundation for the next spell before pointing his wand at Hermione and chanted, " _Incarcerous_."

Draco watched the brown haired witch awkwardly fall while sporting an angry blush that could easily match the Weasel's when he became furious or embarrassed. While he enjoyed a good session of pureblood condescension, he was also past the sophomoric stage of reveling in it. Plus there were much more urgent things to do than to remind the impure ones of their lower status.

Letting out a sneer, Draco ignore Hermione's empty threats and protests and slung her immobilized body over his shoulder. Since he had cast a weakened version of the spell, he figured that the sturdiness of the rope would only last for three minutes.

That was if she didn't break out of it herself first.

Walking over to the sewer entrance, Draco stole a glance inside and saw that it was connected to a water pipeline. It wasn't the most ideal or hygienic situation that he would've liked, but there wasn't any room for him to complain. Not when his very magical existence was at stake.

"Hey! I think I saw something down there!"

Cursing under his breath, Draco let out a small grunt before dumping Hermione into the dirty aqueduct. A scowl entered his face when he failed to hear a shriek come from the witch. He found it hard to believe that she wouldn't react accordingly, especially in times of trepidation.

Slightly disappointed, Draco grimaced while grasping at the back end of his left forearm. Even with all the precautions and limitations that he had placed upon the spells, he was still feeling a backlash beginning to wash over him. If his condition continued to deteriorate, then he would have no choice but to submit to the completion of the poisonous link.

But until he was forced to do so, he would never-

"Down there! I see someone! Wait hold on!"

A cacophony of both human and bestial voices rained down upon the spot where Draco was located. Realizing that a flurry of chaos was about to occur in the irrigation ditch, he promptly withdrew himself and followed Hermione into the sewers.

* * *

 **Closer Look:** Hermione

This war has wrought with it many changes, much that I have yet to comprehend. There have always been numerous things that I haven't known about the magical world, but ever since the war had broken out, I can safely say that I know absolutely nothing.

For as long as I remember, I so desperately have tried to prove to everyone that I belong in this community. That my..status of being a Muggleborn should not matter, that I am not a second rate, uncultured barbarian.

Why does this matter to me? Because I don't fit in with Muggles either. Yeah, it's a memory that I have buried deep within my subconsciousness, but it's always been present, waiting for an opportunity to be unearthed. Even with those of 'my own kind' I have been a recluse, a socially awkward child who would lose herself within books because...well, it's because I'm bad with people.

Thank Merlin for Harry.

Still, at the end of the day, the only person I have managed to fool is me, Hermione Granger. The smartest witch of her generation. Yes, I say fool and not convinced because I don't think I have ever been able to persuade myself of this belief.

And ironically enough, it has taken a life threatening episode with the Evolved to have this shown to me!

A bloody creature.

Of course, they would never accept me for who I am. Never.

For all the academic excellence that I have demonstrated over the years in Hogwarts, and the bonds that I have formed with the authority figures, the only thing that has been afforded to me was the blanket of secrecy.

Yes, McGonagall has told me that this has been done for my sake so that I would be protected from both the horrors of the war and the Death Eaters.

I would've wholeheartedly believed her if it wouldn't be for one major problem.

Him.

Draco Malfoy.

Even with his partaking in killing Dumbledore and allowing the Death Eaters to penetrate Hogwarts, he was still given leeway by the Light side. Would the same gratitude have been extended if it were a wizard from a lesser known family? What about an individual that were in the same position as I am?

I...I don't know anymore...this war doesn't make sense any longer. I wish it were back to the pre-war days, at least then I would know what was considered 'good' and what was considered 'bad'.

I'll keep trusting the Headmistress, because if I lose this, then what do I have left remaining?

My friends? Who knows where they are now.

My parents? Can't risk communicating with them any longer.

Where am I again? Am I not...?

* * *

Hermione groggily stirred awake, slowly lifting her head before coughing out the dirty sewage water. Letting out a small groan, she slowly opened her eyes and took a few seconds to allow them to adjust to her surroundings. The last thing she recalled was going her own separate way from Draco before becoming incapacitated and flung down into the sewers.

"Malfoy!" Hermione yelped, hurriedly scrambling to her feet. Scanning the area, she noticed that the aforementioned wizard was nowhere to be found in the immediate vicinity. Letting out a small huff, she wondered where the stuck-up prat was before remembering how he had thrown her down here.

Hermione felt a light blush emanate when she remembered just how easily Draco had manhandled her. She was eternally grateful for the oath that he had taken or she could only imagine what he would've done to from the veiled implication of what could've transpired, the witch decided to think about something different.

Looking down at herself, Hermione noted that all of her clothing were soaked from sliding down the pipe and unceremoniously dropping straight down onto the floor. Face first. She was completely drenched from top to bottom, with nothing to help her dry them. At the very least, he could've released her beforehand so that she would have been able to better brace herself for the fall. The only silver lining to all of this would be that Draco would also be suffering a similar predicament.

At the very least, seeing Draco in a less-than-ideal 'pureblood' form would bring about a small amount of satisfaction. Yes, it was very petty of her, but with how the entire day had turned out, she was willing to accept even the smallest of victories.

All preceding thoughts were deleted from her mind when she saw Draco elegantly slide off of the pipe. Aside from a small portion of his pants that became wet only after he stepped into the water, he still upheld the snobbish, privileged appearance that he seemingly pulled off with little effort.

"It's easy to see just how poor your upbringing was from your inability of being presentable in any given circumstance. Typical Mudblood," Draco sneered.

If there was one thing that Hermione was willing to concede, it was that Draco excelled at raising her ire and having her quickly lose her composure. Case in point? She wasn't a violent person by any stretch of the imagination, heck, she was considered the 'moral voice' within the group. However, she had to admit the one time that she did hit him, effectively wiping the smirk off of her arch nemesis' face, never felt so good.

Still, with that being stated, she was once again close to reaching the limits of her patience. It was clear that the two would engage each other in a caustic and exhausting argument. But rather than giving into the temptation of the toxic routine, Hermione chose to bite her lower lip and lower her gaze to the sewage floor. Slowly counting to ten, she took a deep breath, collected her thoughts before taking a quick look around the area.

Seeing a rusted door nearby, she pointed to it while telling him, "Let's move out of here. We just got out of a dangerous situation and have no idea where we are and what exactly is lurking down here."

The room looked to be some type of resting area with only a bench and a few crushed cans found inside of the place. Closing and locking the door behind them, Draco casually leaned against a wall while Hermione shook her head before asking, "Tell me Malfoy, what changed?"

Hearing the question, Draco looked at her with a curious expression on his face.

"Let me rephrase it then, what changed to make you accept this mission?" Hermione had managed to soothe her nerves enough to project an air of lucidity. It wouldn't serve her well for Draco to pick up on any perceived weakness. Even though everything about the mission had become one big convoluted mess, she was cognizant of herself. "The Malfoy that I knew was an arrogant ponce that either needed his father's permission to breath or used his family's name to get what he wanted."

To say that he was surprised by the direction of the conversation would he an understatement. Draco was sure that all of his actions would result in another verbal fight between them. He was mentally prepared with all sorts of degrading insults, clever quips, and condescending sneers.

But this? He wasn't expecting the Mudblood to actually touch upon a sore and sensitive subject.

Grinding his teeth together, Draco shook his head before spitting out in disgust, "Nothing, nothing's changed at all, I just made a stupid deal and have to live with the consequences. Like I said before, this is all just a mission for me, nothing more, nothing less. I still loathe know-it-all Mudbloods like you."

Hermione was tempted to take out her wand and hex the living daylights out of Draco but decided the risk wasn't worth the minimal reward. Even if the room had a deathly, foul scent that would deter any organism from flourishing down here, there was no telling if this applied to the Evolved. The smell was almost enough to make her want to avoid the incoming confrontation with the Malfoy heir. Of course, if the world revolved around the concept of 'almost' being enough to fulfill a condition, then reality itself would be a vastly different place.

"Alright then Malfoy, I don't think we've ever really had a chance to talk, so let's do it shall we?"

Draco sighed when he realized that Hermione had effectively defused the built-up tension. Quickly becoming bored with the situation, he nonchalantly gave her a shrug before shoving his hands into his robes.

"The only thing we should be discussing is getting you back to those pathetic Order members so that you guys can finally leave me alone."

"No," Hermione responded with more authority and confidence in her voice than before. "I want to know what it is that clouds your judgment. Why do you hate us Muggleborns so much? Is it because that's what your father believes and you have to follow his every example? Are you admitting to me that you don't have your own core of beliefs and just follow people without giving it much thought? Perhaps that explains why you agree to such abhorrent contracts about which you're whinging."

"Just stop and bugger off Granger," Draco curtly replied.

"Could it be that you don't understand the world from our perspective?" Hermione shook her head before answering her own question, "No, there has to be a deeper reason than that, because as much as I loathe to admit it, you are quite intelligent Malfoy."

Hermione tilted her head to the side and bit her lower lip before continuing, "Perhaps the so-called culture that you always rant on about, which I lack, is tied in with all this blind hatred and bigotry? It could be possible since a vast majority of the purebloods, especially those that pledged allegiance to Voldemort, carry the same attitude."

Draco visibly cringed at hearing the Dark Lord's name before warning her in a low hiss, "Granger, I suggest that you stop saying You-Know-Who's name, and Merlin, just stop asking questions!"

Hermione ignored this as she tilted her head before asking, "Or is it because you're afraid?"

Finally having heard enough of her prattling, Draco stomped up to Hermione and angrily pushed her against the walls. Having her trapped in between his arms, he let out a low snarl and responded, "First off, don't you dare bring up or talk about my father, mother, or any of my family, got it?" Flaring his nose in frustration, a flash of red crossed his eyes before he continued speaking, "Secondly, stop acting as though you know everything there is to our society. Let me tell you something that every other person has been saying behind your back. You know absolutely nothing and you are merely being destructive with your existence, rather than being constructive."

Hermione felt all sorts of emotions bubbling up to the surface, all of it threatening to break out at a given moment. However, the thought of manifesting them in such a circumstance never crossed her mind. She was not going to give Draco the satisfaction of knowing that he had managed to get under her skin and intimidate her with his cowardly, bully-like tactics. Especially considering the fact that she had faced off against worse, threats that promised her death.

Putting all of this into perspective eased her titillating nerves. She had reminded herself of all the impressive achievements that Draco had accomplished before becoming a Death Eater, which as none.

Fluttering her eyes a few times, Hermione decided to copy Draco by doing an equally impressive 'I-care-not-for-you-since-I'm-better-than-you' shrug.

"If you won't respect my wishes, then why should I care? Sure, you tormented and ridiculed me due to something that is out of my control, but guess what? At least I excelled at everything that was within my respective powers." Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "Why don't you tell me what you were able to do with your so-called 'privileged' status."

"SHUT UP!" Draco furiously shouted, pointing his wand directly at Hermione's face. Staring at her for a few seconds, he muttered something incoherent under his breath before releasing her from the position. Looking back at her, a smirk suddenly graced the corner of his lips. "Fine, you want a taste of your own medicine? I'll tell you what, I love just how, despite your struggles for equality, you put on this air of condenscension and look down on everyone that doesn't meet the criteria of your so-called intellectual standard."

Hermione felt her eyes widen at the accusation. That wasn't true, was it? This was a baseless allegation to try and bully her again, wasn't it?

Draco continued on with the verbal assault, "All of you Mudbloods just waltz into our world, completely ignorant of our traditions, culture, and history and do nothing in an attempt to learn of it. Yet be the first to cry foul play and demand changes when things become somewhat uncomfortable, without even trying to blend in with our society."

"Now hold on a second, that's not true at all!" Hermione responded, determined to defend herself from the barrage of uninformed and offensive bigotry.

Draco now held a full-on grin while he asked, "Then tell me, what do you know about the history of magic...outside of Professor Binns' class and those ridiculous, standard textbooks?"

Hermione opened her mouth then promptly closed it. This was a trick question, wasn't it? He was giving her a question that would be impossible for her to answer since the information that he was fishing for were something that only purebloods had access to.

She refused to give him the benefit of a victory. Hermione wanted to tell him that none of those books from the Old Family Library mattered since they did not pertain to her scholarly education, but then that would only fortify his claim. There was also the matter of informing him of her ignorance in that departments simply because there was nobody to guide her. However, when there was a subject that piqued her interest, then nothing short of an apocalypse would stop her from researching it.

"By the way Granger, you're right," he said as he closed the distance between their faces. "We aren't in school, we're outside now where there are no established laws or authority figures. You're also a female, don't ever forget that part."

The two glared at each other for a few more seconds before Draco finally detached himself from the close proximity. Hermione felt her cheeks tinge as the reminder of her gender and his implications were more than enough for her.

"And don't worry, no matter how desperate I may become, I'm not in the business of tainting my bloodline."

Before the argument could resume, both of them heard a familiar, low growl of an Evolved echo through the tunnels of the sewer.

"Mmmrgh..."

"Bloody hell," Draco murmured under his breath, "They're down here too?"

"Malfoy," Hermione spoke up as she took a deep breath and peeled herself from the wall. Now wasn't the time for petty arguments, not when their lives were at stake. She bit her lower lips as she swallowed her pride extended her right arm, "Since we are stuck in this situation together, I suggest a compromise towards us cooperating in a joint effort to survive the remainder of this journey."

Draco shrugged as he extended his own and briefly shook it. "Like I said Granger, this is just business for me. I just want to finish this job, move on with my life, and hopefully, never see you again."

"I share the same sentiments."

Exiting the room, the sound of the creature reminded them that they were still in terrible danger. They had to leave the sewers and try to find a safe location as soon as they could. However, it would be unwise on either person's part to rashly rush through the area. Plus, they still had to recover from their previous ordeal in Hogsmeade. If they didn't find anything that would immediately endanger their lives, then they would use the time to prepare themselves for the next place.

After the passing of this odd moment of understanding, the pair discarded the remainder of their spat as they waded through the ankle-deep water and onto the next connecting tunnel. The underwater passageway that they were traversing was just wide enough to fit a wooden carriage and big enough to comfortably fit Hagrid, without him having to duck his head. Just like Hogsmeade, much of the area was poorly lit with only a handful of torches illuminating the path.

"Wait!"

Hermione stopped near one of the torches and tried to grab hold of it, though to no avail. The light source was placed just out of her reach and she was unable to use magic to bring it down to her hand. Letting out a small huff of frustration, she turned back to her escort and shook her head.

"Well?"

Draco blinked a few times in confusion at the one-worded question before asking, "Well what?"

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day, or are you going to help me here?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Draco shook his head before replying, "Granger, I hate you, and you hate me. We bloody hate each other, right? So why in Merlin's name would I ever want to help you? Besides, do I look like a house elf to you?"

"Do you want me to answer that truthfully?" Hermione retorted with a smirk on her lips. "I'm not going anywhere until I get one of those torches in my hand."

Draco opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed it again. In a situation like this, he had no leverage or power that would take back control. The only thing he could do was either listen to her or leave the Mudblood behind and continue exploring. While it was tempting to do the latter, he was not going to risk violating the oaths and leave himself crippled.

Letting out a sigh, he briskly grabbed hold of the dark robe that Hermione was wearing and told her, "Strip."

Looking at him in disbelief, she felt an unnerving blush creep up to her cheeks. Swiping at Draco's arm, she shook her head and responded, "What?! Are you barking mad Malfoy? Just a second ago you said that you hated me, and now you to-"

"Stop, don't finish that sentence, ever," Draco warned her in a disgusted tone. "You, implying that I would ever find you attractive in any manner is downright absurd."

Hermione blinked a few times and asked, "Then why did you..."

Lightly rubbing his right shoulder blade, he let out a yawn before continuing, "First of all, do you not remember the oath that I took at Hogsmeade? And secondly, compared to all the girls in Hogwarts that I've shagged, you don't come close to measuring up against any of them."

Draco kicked a nearby pebble and added, "Especially since they're purebloods. That doesn't matter now, just give me your robe and I'll get that damn torch for you."

Slipping out from the Death Eater robe, Hermione tossed it over to Draco which he was easily able to catch. Forming a thick knot with the end of the dark robe, he took careful aim of the lantern before knocking it down from the placeholder. Unfortunately, he was not ready for the torch to flip around in the air, causing him to fumble around with it before grabbing the handle. Letting out a small sigh, he gave a nonchalant shrug and handed it off to the witch before asking her, "Well, are you ready to move now?"

Hermione reluctantly nodded and the two moved forward in silence, with the sound of running water being the only deterring factor between them. Much of the monotony was eventually broken when they came across a pathway that forked into two different directions: left or right.

"Granger..." Draco began to speak when he was immediately interrupted by the brunette.

"Let's split up, I'll check the left side, and don't worry, I'll be careful. If anything, I'll yell out if I need any assistance."

* * *

Draco watched Hermione walk away to the left side. His gut instincts were screaming to chase after her to ensure that she would not be in harm's way. However, another part of him deftly informed him to take the opportunity to cool off from his encounter with the Mudblood. He was reminded that he was a mercenary, not a babysitter. If the witch was unable to defend herself here, then there would be no chance for them to survive this ordeal. Plus, with everything that had transpired in the past few hours, he definitely needed some time to process it alone.

Going off to the opposite tunnel, Draco partially regretted his judgment, or lack thereof, for not getting himself a torch. He knew that he had no one else to blame except himself, but being in the mere presence of the damnable woman seemed to grate his nerves without fail. Quelling the feelings of contrition, the blonde cautiously explored his side a bit further.

"So, this one just leads to a dead end," Draco muttered to himself, looking down at the tunnel that he had chosen. However, all was not lost since there was another path that tapered off to the left. Looking at it, he blinked and shook his head, "So then this one goes to where Granger is, right? So then why was it built like this in the first place?

Shaking his head in wonder again, he was about to join Hermione on her side when he noticed a ditch from the corner of his eyes. Examining the Canal, he was able to find a few empty boxes and bags, all of which appeared to be discarded garbage. However, the item of interest that caught his attention was a piece of paper that was lying on one of the wooden crates.

 _Bloody hell, I'm gone for a few months and the world doesn't waste any time going to complete shit. It's like everywhere I turn there's either people trying to kill you, or those fucking monsters._

 _(Illegible Scribble)_

 _Dark side? Light side? Fuck that, I'm in this for myself, and I have to admit, I'm surprised that I've even survived this long. The sewers here seem safe to me, with lots of exits and entrances all around the place that make it a natural maze._

 _(Illegible Scribble)_

 _I might not be toughest guy out there, but I know that I'm pretty fast. Plus with all the loose material that I can scavenge, I can easily craft myself a potion or an item if I need it. I might just hide out here until this whole clusterfuck gets sorted._

 _Guess I'll keep an account of it in this journal._

 _-TNott_

Draco felt his mouth dry after reading the note. This was just a huge coincidence, right? He only knew of one person with the family name Nott who attended Hogwarts with him, and this person just so happened to start their birth name with the letter 'T' - Theodore. Even if he wanted to deny the connection, the handwriting was just too familiar for him to disregard it.

Did this mean that Theodore was hiding somewhere in here? Not wanting to dwell on this for the moment, Draco stashed the note away and made his way through the connecting tunnel, rejoining Hermione on the other side.

"Malfoy? Did you find anything over there?"

Draco shook his head, "No, just found some garbage lying around. Let's keep going."

There was no need for the Mudblood to butt into Slytherin business. He would keep this information to himself.

 **Author's Note:** I made a bunch of tweaks on this chapter to which I will be applying to all future chapters and previous chapters. So if the contents from before were a little hazy or made no sense, I will be revamping them and cleaning them up so that there is a lot more clarity behind them. Also, you might be able to peek into what I have in store for all the readers as well!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I'm going to use an unforgivable on JK Rowling, force her to sign a contract which states that Harry Potter now belongs to me. I mean... _ **Obliviate!**_

 **Author's Note:** This chapter took me a real long time since I've had to constantly edit the rough draft..and then edit it some more after my beta reader came to me with a plan on configuring this one further. Anyways, this one has gone through many changes but I believe it turned out better than how I had originally planned it. Enjoy!

* * *

 **[I didn't know there was a sewer system near Hogsmeade]**

 **Radio:** _...and in other news, Hogsmeade has reportedly been run over by the wretched Evolved. We will continue to bring you further updates as we get more information in regards to this situation and everything else. Listeners, that brings us to the end of another Potterwatch. We aren't sure when it will be possible to broadcast again..._

"What do we have here?" Hermione muttered under her breath, bringing the torch closer to the wall. Squinting her eyes, she traced her fingers alongside the grime covered surface. She found some interesting signs and letters scribbled all over the place. However, the one that intrigued her the most was the arrow pointing forward and the word 'HELP!' with a cross mark next to it. Tilting her head down, she was able to discern another message, but this one written in a much smaller print.

"Ravens are always in the air while snakes are always on the ground..." Hermione rubbed her eyes then shook her head. This couldn't be a mere coincidence, right? She didn't want to raise her hopes up, but would it be possible for them to find survivors down here who also went to Hogwarts? Still, what was the point of a message that pointed out the obvious? This didn't sit well with her since the only other writing she found was the warning sign right above this.

 _"Unless this is a riddle encompassed to look like a simple message, it's just a truism! But why would someone do this?"_ Hermione thought to herself before squatting down and lowering her level of vision. She searched around for a few seconds and spotted the other piece of information that the writer apparently wanted hidden.

"Beware the holders of the Dark Mark, they are the reason for the Evolved." Hermione's eyes lit up after reading the message. While there was no evidence supporting this, she couldn't help but wonder if there really was a direct correlation between those that bore the damning insignia and the unknown creatures. There was also the fact that rather than use 'Death Eater', this person had consciously decided to write something else.

Shaking her head, Hermione continued her progress down the tunnel when she noticed an interconnecting tube on the side. Biting her lower lip, she began to contemplate on which one to go through but stopped after seeing a familiar figure come trudging before her eyes.

"Malfoy?" Hermione called out, wanting to get a response from him. Clearing her throat, she tried once again. "Malfoy?" It was apparent that there was something bothering the blonde, but she didn't want to invade his privacy. She had no reason to intrude upon his thoughts, and quite frankly, she was only doing it to be polite to him.

"Malfoy? Did you find anything over there?" Hermione managed to ask when she was able to get his attention.

Draco shook his head, "No, just found some garbage lying around. Let's keep going."

Hermione couldn't help but scoff at the dismissive attitude that Draco was showing her but said nothing of it. She knew that he was at least trying to uphold his end of the deal, showing attempts at being civil towards her. If he didn't want to share anything with her, then she wouldn't press the issue any further.

The two started walking together again, neither bothering to engage a conversation with the other. They continued silently trudging forward, ignoring the waffling scent of the sewers while doing their best to wade through the thick, murky water. This continued until they came across the creature that emitted the low growl. However, this Evolved seemed to be lacking its usual menacing presence, looking almost void of subsistence. It was merely standing off to the side with its back turned to them in a lifeless, slouched position.

"Malfoy," Hermione whispered to him, "does that Evolved look strange to you?"

Taking another look at the aforementioned creature, he answered, "Maybe this is how they really are when they aren't hunting for magic."

Hermione shook her head, "Look, some of its veins are missing, and the usual albino pigment of its skin appears to be changing into a different shade. It's hard to notice at first but..."

Draco put his hand up to indicate his annoyance. "What's your point, Granger?"

"I think I might have discovered something about these Evolved. The details are still kind of vague, but I believe we could somehow use it to our advantage if my theory turns out correct. Anyways, since nothing will be accomplished by doing nothing, can I ask if you still have the firearm on you?"

Looking at her suspiciously, Draco then shrugged before answering, "Even if I do, I won't be handing it over to you, why do you want to know?"

Hermione shrugged back before casually replying, "I'm going to go on ahead, so if the thing decides to wake up and attack me, you can easily provide support for me."

"No! Have you become completely barmy? Bloody hell, woman, I'll go first in case this thing's still active. I don't feel like becoming a squib or worse, facing the reaper's scythe, just because you got careless and couldn't react properly to a lazy attack," Draco furiously hissed.

Even if the creature wasn't looking at them, there was no way he was going to be taking any chances. Giving himself a wide enough berth while holding the firearm in his hand, Draco flattened his back against the tunnel walls and cautiously started moving past it. While he squeezed through the side, he made sure to keep his eyes focused on the creature, ensuring not to get caught off guard. Luckily for him, he did not have to make use of the weapon.

Seeing the relative safety of Draco's position even at such propinquity, Hermione limberly copied his movements. The passivity of the Evolved allowed both of them to be able to get across without any problems.

"Well?"

Hermione tilted her head while asking, "Well, what?"

"Don't be so daft and tell me this theory of yours," Draco demanded.

"I can't say on a definitive that this would be considered factual, however, upon touching the Evolved's skin, I can say for certain that there is a high probability that my observation could be a truth."

Draco sighed and once again cut her off and pointed forward. "You're taking too long, we'll both be dead by the time you finish. Just forget I asked. Come on, let's get a move on."

Letting out an angry huff, Hermione glared back at him. "Then don't ask me for my opinion next time!"

"I didn't know you would be lecturing me from a textbook Granger," Draco drawled in a perfected posh voice.

Hermione closed her eyes and massaged her forehead, all while muttering something inaudible under her breath before replying, "Let's just keep moving."

The pair slogged along the dirty sewage water for a few more paces before coming to what appeared to be a dead end – more specifically a giant steel wall. It didn't make any sense to either of them that these long winding tunnels would lead them to nowhere. The only things they saw was an overturned carriage to their left and a miniature ladder on the right.

"For Salazar's sake," Draco muttered in frustration, "what in Merlin's name is wrong with this place?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and stayed silent for a few more seconds before shaking her head and replying, "Doesn't it seem strange that there's some type of transportation vehicle in the middle of the sewers here? I mean, why is it here in the first place? How did it get here? Doesn't that concern you in the least?"

Draco rolled his eyes while shrugging and casually answered back with a deadpan face. "It's magic, stop questioning everything Mudblood." He couldn't help but let out a sigh when he heard the witch start to go off on one of her despicable rants.

Shaking his head, Draco went over to the ladder, not bothering to hear the rest of what Hermione had to say. Scaling the ladder, he spotted a big red button along with a clumsily written sign that read, 'Op/Cl.'. Rubbing the back of his neck, he stared at it for a few more seconds before opting to press it. This triggered the large steel wall to exude a loud, dull groan, followed by low tremors that appeared to shake the entire sewer.

"Oh Merlin," Draco mumbled, finding it difficult to maintain his balance upon the ladder. Hopping off of it, he turned to the source of the racket while asking Hermione, "Granger! Did that do anything, besides make all this noise?"

The steel wall seemed to answered his question, rumbling to life while slowly ascending from the floor. At first, neither of the two thought anything of the wavering sewage at their ankle. This changed when they felt the rapid shift in the water currents and the increase in its volume. Not only had it had risen up to their knees, but it was also pushing them backwards. Both Draco and Hermione went over to the overturned carriage and hopped on top of it.

Watching the water beneath their feet grow deeper in depth, Draco merely shrugged before taking out a long, frazzled rope from his robe. "Granger, hurry and tie that around your waist, we don't have much time."

Hermione took the rope and quickly wrapped it around her stomach and secured it with a knot. She gave him a brief nod before dropping down to her knees. The carriage that she was standing upon was starting to buckle under the strong currents that were gushing out from the lifting steel wall. Both of them became concerned over the possibilities of the water simply

They felt relieved when they saw that did not have to stay on it for long, since the uncovering of the blockade revealed a much bigger path with similarly oversized surfaces that could be used to stay out of the water. Of course, the route going forward was compounded with the same condition that was plaguing them now – deep, sewage water that was rapidly moving backwards.

"Malfoy," Hermione shakily said, doing her best to balance herself on the wobbling carriage. "I have to tell you that I...can't really-"

 _ **Splash!**_

A pale, disfigured arm suddenly shot out of the water and plastered itself onto the side of the overturned vehicle. Another one shortly followed afterward, with a grotesque head with pupil-less eyes popping up to the surface. It seemed to stare at Hermione for a few seconds before slowly opening its jaws and letting out an inhuman screech. Immediately after, it slithered up to where the two were standing and lunged toward them.

"Piss off," Draco angrily shouted, leaping up and stomping the monster in the face. Not wanting to give the creature a chance to recover, he swiftly kicked it back into the stream. "Looks like we won't be safe here, so let's start moving Granger."

The two quickly jumped across to a different platform, with Draco taking the lead which would ensure a safety net for Hermione, in the case that she slipped or fell into the water. Every time they got onto a different landing spot, they found the same shaky and unstable foundation. This continued until they managed to reach the roof of a broken-down train. While this one appeared to be a lot more sturdier than the others, just the fact that it was still groaning under the weight of two people being on top of it was not a good sign.

"Granger," Draco drew in a sharp breath before nodding toward the catwalk. "That looks stable enough, what with it hanging from the ceiling and away from all this water. Get ready to jump." Walking to the end of the train, Draco ran, in full stride, to the opposite side before jumping and reaching the footway.

Bearing witness to Draco's success, Hermione closed her eyes and began muttering words of self-encouragement under her breath. Looking straight at her target destination, she started to dash toward the catwalk and made an attempt to jump across. The bushy-browed witch leapt wide, clearing the gap without much of a problem. It was only when she gathered her feet that she had slipped, barely managing to grab the edge of the catwalk in the last second. Letting out a weak smile, she reached out to grab the blonde's hand when she felt something slimy grab one of her ankles.

"What?" Hermione shrieked, finding herself getting dragged down into the water.

Grabbing hold of Hermione's arms, Draco began pulling the witch towards him. Surprisingly, it didn't take much for him to free her from the creature's grasp. However, since he did not expect to break her away so easily, he was still tugging at her with the same amount of force but with nothing to counteract his momentum. Thus, he found himself forcibly flopping backwards, taking the brunette with him.

"Mmmrph..." Draco groaned, trying to make sense of the weight that was pressing against his face. He knew that the Mudblood had used his body to cushion herself from the fall, that much was obvious. What he wanted to figure out was the position in which she had landed on top of him. Should he be disgusted now, or later? Deciding to get this over with, Draco pushed against the flesh that was pressed against his face.

 _"Soft..."_ was the first thing that flashed through his mind with both of his hands now investigating the source of this tender texture. It took Draco all of one good grope for him to recognize what it was that was straddling his face. This immediately triggered a dissenting war between his pureblood teachings and his hormonal male side.

 _"It's the bloody Mudblood, but on the other hand, it's breasts...Mudblood or breasts? Mudblood or breasts?"_

 **[Yep, this wasn't surprising to me since males apparently do lose their ability to think logically when they use their other head to make their decisions]**

The question was answered for him in the form of Hermione prying herself off of Draco while screaming in a disgusted voice. Letting out a small sigh, the blonde wizard dusted off his robes before standing back up on his feet. Cracking some of the tense muscles in his neck, he then told her, "I'm going on ahead first, Granger. Take your time and catch your breath."

Draco was glad that he had decided to go on ahead by himself. When he had come across the end of the catwalk, there were two things that drew his attention. The first was an impromptu ladder that stopped at a drawn-in hole, which he presumed was the concave entrance to the next room. The second was a note. Picking it up, he began to read through it.

 _Yesterday, met some people that weren't on either side of the war. They were survivors, just like me. They were cautious about meeting me at first, but I was able to trade some goods and supplies with them._

 _(illegible scribble)_

 _I felt bad. They had kids with them and all of them seemed pretty scared. I almost told them about this place. Yeah yeah, I know, I could hear Draco telling me how unslytherin I am for trying to care about others that won't benefit me. Still..._

 _(illegible scribble)_

 _You know what? I don't care. This isn't about house pride or anything like that anymore. What's the point of surviving if you have nobody to share the experience with? Nobody to get you through these times? Maybe it's because I've been alone for some time but..._

 _(illegible scribble)_

 _I'm going back tomorrow. I'll go search for them. Let's see if they want to join me in here._

 _-Theodore_

This all but confirmed that the writer of these notes was the same person that attended Hogwarts with him. While there were numerous subjects that the two could speak about, there was only one that really interested him. The most important thing he wanted to confront Theodore with was his eagerness to abandon everything that he had procured in the Slytherin House. Shaking his head, Draco crumpled up the note and threw it into the water.

"Is something the matter, Malfoy?"

Upon hearing Hermione's voice, Draco shook the thoughts out of his head. Now wasn't the time to be losing his wits, not when he still had a job to finish. Taking a deep breath, he nonchalantly shrugged and answered, "I thought I was going to die of boredom just waiting for you, Granger."

A scowl entered Hermione's face but nothing more came out from this exchange. With things having become slightly more settled between them, they decided to scale the ladder. Once they reached the top, they were able to get a better look at the next room.

"I hope I don't get sick from this place," Hermione mumbled to herself, looking at the new area that they had entered. Gone were the long winding tunnels and dirty sewage water, with it being replaced by a large, white room with splotches of questionable markings all over the walls.

 _"This place looks dirty,"_ was the first thought that entered both of their minds. However, the slight change of scenario was a welcome sight to them, even if it looked like it was wrought with unknown diseases.

"Anyways Mudblood, let's scout the area and see if we can find anything around here."

After a few seconds of investigation, it was clear that a group of people had previously resided in this area. There were worn-out furniture, rusted tools, torn books, ripped garments, soiled toiletries, and a few broken toys that could be found scattered around the place.

Hermione was about to comment on her findings when she saw a piece of paper lying on top of a wooden table. Just the fact that it hadn't been drenched in the dirty sewage water...

while still looking legible held her curiosity. Picking it up, she noticed that it was some sort of entry from a personal diary.

 _One spell and one unlocked door. That's all it took._

 _I don't know who it was, but someone used a spell down here and also forgot to close one of the doors. A huge horde of those monsters came out of nowhere down into the sewers_

 _(illegible scribble)_

 _I still have Penny and some of the kids here with me. I think we're the only survivors remaining, as far as I know. I feel guilty but I had to hold her down so that she wouldn't go running back in there._

 _(illegible scribble)_

 _I could hear Draco sneering at me and telling me "I told you so," while giving me that condescending look. All I wanted to do was help other people, find a reason to continue living in this Merlin forsaken world._

 _It's hard to lose a loved one huh? I didn't know what to say to her or the children. And honestly? I just want to give up at this point. But I can't do that, for some reason I still have faith in humanity and for them to do the right thing._

 _This war is just temporary. I just have to stay strong and get through this. If not for me, then at least for her. I was able to keep them locked inside of the room, I have no idea how it works, but I think I was able to do it. Just for extra measure, I undid the latches for the next room._

 _Should be safe for us to escape. I think._

 _-Theodore Nott_

Hermione felt her nerves lock up and her throat dry up after reading the note. She didn't know who would be pompous enough to sign their own name after a journal entry, but she figured that if it was anyone then it would be the members of the Slytherin House. Speaking of a particular group, this made her mind flash back to the warning that she had read. It had made mention of ravens and snakes, and if she were to put all the clues together, then could this Penny person be Penelope Clearwater? Did that mean Percy was down here with them as well?

 _"I have to stop,"_ Hermione thought to herself while shaking her head. " _I'm just jumping to conclusions at this point. Nothing else was specified on this piece of paper. I should at least give this to him out of respect for his classmate."_

"Hey Malfoy," Hermione hesitantly called out. "I think you should take a look at this."

Hermione waited for Draco to come around before handing him the note. There was a curious mixture of expressions that crossed her arch-nemesis' face. The most distinguishing feature was the silence that he continuously demonstrated. She wasn't sure just how close the two were but judging from the contents, she was able to surmise that they were at least acquaintances, perhaps even closer than that.

"What a crock of shit," she heard Draco mumble under his breath before crumbling up the note and tossing it to the floor. Feeling the awkward tension surrounding the blonde, Hermione decided to excuse herself and continue the exploration. It wasn't long before she was able to find the entrance to the next room. Wanting to give Draco a few minutes to recover, she decided to wait for him by lingering around the exit. Taking a look around, she was able to spot a book from the corner of her eyes.

 _"Now this is an interesting surprise, what is a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf doing here? No, forget that, what is an infamous Muggle literature even doing here in the first place? I didn't realize that any of them knew who this person was_." Hermione thought to herself while eyeing the offending book and rubbing her forehead. It wasn't every day that she came across something so abrasive and so out of place, and yet impossible to ignore. Against her better judgment, she decided to pick it up and stow it away.

"Let's get a move on Granger," Draco roughly growled over her shoulder. Spinning around, Hermione saw that her blonde arch-nemesis had finally caught up to her, and he didn't look worse for the wear either. She was tempted to ask him how he felt but thought better of it and chose to walk in silence instead.

The design of the next room appeared to be quite simplistic. The exit itself was not too far off a distance and there were no visible, hostile threats in the immediate vicinity. However, there was one major problem that separated the space between the floor they were standing upon and the next outlet – water. It was what the Muggles essentially called a swimming pool.

After estimating the range of the body of water, Draco took off his robe, making sure to secure all of his belongings before tying it around his neck. Taking a deep breath, he sloppily dove into the water and flailed his arms around for a few seconds before managing to find the surface.

"Granger, what are you waiting for? We don't have time to waste, let's go."

"Um...Malfoy?" Hermione said with a bit of hesitation in her voice. "Do you think you could help me?"

Draco looked at her for a second before coming out from the water. Throwing his hands up in the air, he then said, "Come on now, it's really not that bad. For fuck's sake woman, it's just bloody water. Now hurry up and get in before our luck really begins to run out."

Lightly sighing, Hermione shook her head before informing him, "Malfoy, I tried to tell you this before, but I'm not particularly fond of traversing through a body of water where I'm unable to see the bottom. Not since the time I almost drowned when I went to the beach with my parents..." she mumbled, looking away in embarrassment.

Draco threw his hands up in disbelief at this sudden discovery. Here he was doing everything that he could to survive, including the unbearable tolerance of the Mudblood. But because of some unsavory past experience, she was not willing to get into the water and swim.

 _"Absolutely fantastic,"_ Draco let out a dry bitter laugh while shaking his head. Running his hands through his hair, he exhaled in frustration and asked, "Alright then, so what? I don't see any other way to get to the other side, do you? We can try and risk using a spell to help you levitate, but that just might trigger some hidden Evolved to come out and attack us."

"I don't know, alright?!" Hermione snapped back. "If you hadn't shoved me into the sewers in the first place, then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"If I hadn't...? You've become absolutely mental now, Granger. It seems like suicidal, Gryffindorish tendencies aren't the only things that you picked up from Potty and Weasel."

"At least they chose a path that they believe in," Hermione responded in a cool and composed manner.

Draco inadvertently felt his mouth form into a visible scowl. There it was, the hollowing reminder of all his bad decisions which ultimately led him into this unfavorable position. It aggravated him when he realized that she had been able to deduce his regret in the small snippet of information that he mindlessly tossed.

"Look Malfoy, the faster we solve this, then the faster we can get out and go our separate ways, right?"

Turning his back to her, Draco closed his eyes and spoke, "If I can find something that's strong and sturdy enough to hold you up on the water, then would you be willing to use it as a float? I'll do my best to pull you on it as long as you kick your feet around and help propel me forward."

Even though he was the one that made the suggestion, he could not see a single item that fit the description. Growing impatient at the lack of advancement and his own ineptitude, Draco saw fit to lash out when he heard Hermione speak up again.

"Malfoy, do you remember the theory that I had?"

No response.

"Have you wondered why we haven't seen more visible Evolved around here, besides the lifeless one back at the entrance of the sewers?"

This time a grunt.

Clearing her voice, she then continued, "I believe the Evolved cannot deal with an overexposure of water. The one that we were able to sneak past, I believe its body was showing symptoms of either having been bloated or becoming bloated. Also, the one that had caught my ankles while we were jumping around, it wasn't strong enough to hold its grip on me. So the non-responsive and sluggish nature, combined with how its skin felt, and the lack of existing ones here are why I am able to come to this conclusion."

Draco was about to ridicule her when he promptly closed his mouth before opening it again. Licking his lips, he massaged the base of his jaw and shook his head before asking, "Wait, are you telling me to go back to that hideous bugger, drown that thing, then bring the corpse back here?"

"Well, color me impressed Malfoy, I guess your grades weren't just a product of your family's money," Hermione said in a genuine voice.

There was also the option of allowing Hermione to grab onto Draco's shoulders while he swam across the water. But it was implicitly understood by both individuals that there were certain acts which would not be tolerated under any circumstance – minus the threat of death.

"Shut up you blathering skag," he mumbled. "It's unbelievable how you're willing to experiment with this unproven theory of yours and ride upon a dead body across the water. All this because you don't want to go for a little swim."

"Look, I know that the fear I'm harboring is quite ridiculous, especially given our life or death situation. But human beings can be quite irrational, especially given the way that they function..."

Not wanting to hear anymore, he promptly began tracing his steps back to the previous tunnels.

* * *

 **[The details were extremely blurry and there was no possible way to retrieve all the information, but she ensured me that he was able to find a bloated body and bring it back to where the witch was waiting]**

"Damn, this was heavy," Draco muttered before lifting and slamming the corpse onto the floor. Poking it a few times with his foot, he then shrugged and said, "Alright, it's about time we finally got out of here. Let's go."

The Malfoy heir placed his foot on top of the dead monster, with a sickening and flat sounding squelch coming out from it. Letting out a deep breath, he then kicked the bloated corpse, effectively peeling some of its skin off while watching it roll into the water. Just like Hermione had predicted, the ballooned body was floating on the water.

"Here we go again," Draco murmured, making sure to secure his pockets before jumping into the water. Swimming over to the Evolved, he tested the corpse's balance by putting his weight on top of it. Seeing it hold up under the increased pressure, Hermione carefully reached over to the floating body before descending into the water.

A brief measure of panic manifested onto Hermione when the body began to sink. However, a sense of normalcy returned to her after the body quickly settled itself and floated back up to the surface. Once they both became situated in their positions, each of them fulfilled their end of the plan. Draco began swimming, pulling the corpse forward while the witch, with her eyes closed and desperately clinging onto the creature, tried to help by flailing her legs. The process was lengthy and tedious, but it was able to get the job done. Getting back onto dry ground, the pair took a moment to catch their breath before advancing ahead.

"Where...are we?" Hermione couldn't help but gape at the complete change in scenario, leaving both of them to stare in amazement.

The area that the two had entered seemed to be a completely different section than the dirty sewers that were behind them. Rather than a tight and linear passage with a straight-forward path, this one was a large and vast space that had multiple exits, along with different floor levels that were connected by vertical pipes, that could all be potentially taken. There were also a multitude of pipelines which were all interconnected, linking them all together like an extended network that had no end in sight. It also lacked the depth of sewage water, with the only signs of it being the small puddles on the floor or the small amounts dripping from the aforementioned pipes.

The only similarity? The presence of the Evolved, or lack thereof, at the very least.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," Hermione wistfully said after snapping out of her stupor. "I've always wanted to say that."

"Toto? Kansas? What the hell are you going on about now, Granger?" Draco asked, confused by the remark from the witch.

"Ah it's...never mind, it's a Muggle saying, so you wouldn't understand the charm behind it."

Draco sighed while muttering something under his breath before replying, "So, how do you want to do this? Randomly pick one and go through it, hope to Merlin that it's the correct one to lead us to the exit?"

Hermione frowned while she shook her head, "I'm not too sure what you're trying to insinuate, Malfoy. Because even if our magic wasn't restricted, I can't recall a spell that will teleport us out of this forsaken place. Also, judging from these conditions, I would say that it's a less than five percent chance that we will find a living human to aid us."

"Ah, so there are some thing's that even you are ignorant of. Color me unimpressed, since it looks like your grades are solely based upon the textbooks," Draco sneered before hooking his arms around a long, vertical pipe and effortlessly sliding down from it.

Hermione was in utter disbelief at Draco's sheer audacity of throwing the insult back at her. She found it difficult to be mad at the taunt when it mirrored the format that she had just recently used. Brushing it off, she carefully reached her hand out to the same pipeline before jumping forward and wrapping her arms around it, allowing her to slide down to the lower floor. Landing next to the blonde, Hermione raised an eyebrow before asking, "So, I gather that you have a plan, since you decided to recklessly come down here?"

"Not really, the idea came into my head and I thought it would be fun, so I gave it a try."

"That's it?" Hermione asked in an incredulous tone, "We came down here because you decided to give into your impulses?"

Draco nonchalantly shrugged while shoving his hands into his robes, "Don't get your knickers in such a twist Granger. No matter how you look at it, we wouldn't be able to solve anything just by staring at each other and talking like we're doing now. Let's go, I'm just going to choose one and see what shows up at the end."

The duo decided to go exploring through the tunnels, making sure to mentally note the ones they were visiting so that they would not lose their way. For much of the investigation, they were unable to locate the exit. The search was not considered to be a complete waste of effort, since they had made a few discoveries which began to whet Hermione's inquisitiveness.

Many of these tunnels wound up being dead ends, with the continuing path getting blocked by either a cave in, a gaping hole on the floor, or a door that wouldn't open. The last one piqued her interest since there were no locks or wards that held these things shut. Furthermore, she had heard odd 'beeping' sounds coming from the other side. For her, the only tincture of regret that she currently had was the overall timing of her circumstance. If she was in more favorable capacity, then she would not have minded doing a thorough examination to uncover whatever secrets were buried here.

"Whoever created this bloody maze is a sadist, a sadist with a pipe-fetish. We could very well draw ourselves into insanity before we're able to find the exit. How people were able to find or do anything inside of this gigantic space with no directions is beyond me."

"Wait," Hermione blurted out, her eyes and mouth growing in size. "I think it's starting to make sense to me. All of these pipes and the rooms containing them...they're all connected! That's it!"

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed before responding, "Please don't patronize me Granger, I'm not a dimwit like the two wankers that you are so fond of. And speaking of them, I'm surprised that there hasn't been news of another breakdown from Potter, or of the Weasel having to shove his foot into his mouth due to the absence of tact in that pillock."

Ignoring the affront that was directed at her friends, she crossed her arms and asked, "Alright then, instead of whinging or making these snide comments, why don't you come up with some ideas so that we can get out of here?"

"Not interested," was the curt response he gave before he moved onto the next entrance.

"Don't let him get to you," Hermione whispered to herself. "Once this is over with, the Order will take care of the rest."

The two walked in silence through the tunnel, neither bothering to confront the other about the appearance of awkward tension between them. While they had done their best to act civilly toward each other, their latest spat was a reminder of just how much they despised one another. A harsh reminder that they were only tolerating the other's presence for the sake of surviving through this clusterfuck of a mission. The longer they stayed together, the more it felt like an impossible task for Draco and Hermione to complete.

They had once again run into another impasse, this time a giant hole on the floor was preventing them from advancing any further. Draco couldn't help but droop his shoulders and sigh at the sight of another dead end. Preparing himself for the trip back to the starting point, he spun around just in time to witness Hermione dashing right past him and jumping straight into the gap.

"AAaahhh!"

Draco walked over to the edge of the pit and took a peek down below. He found it impossible to discern anything from the pitch black darkness that was completely enveloping the hole. The Malfoy heir paused for a brief second, wondering if he had unwittingly violated the magical oath. When he didn't feel any sort of tug or pull from a 'mysterious source' on his magical core, it solidified the fact that Hermione was not dead. Letting out a sigh of relief, the blonde was half tempted to leave the witch behind, but he knew that he would be chasing after her.

"Oy Granger, you awake over there?" Draco hesitantly asked, wanting to make sure that she was conscious before he followed her down the hole

"What is this?! How does something like this exist down here, much less in Magical Britain?"

"Well, here goes," Draco visibly exhaled before taking the leap of faith. Thankfully, the drop itself was not as steep as he had feared, since he was able to land on his own two feet. However, the reprieve was short-lived when he found himself clumsily falling on his bottom and quickly sliding backward. He had also discovered, much to his chagrin, that he was unable to halt his momentum with there being a complete absence of friction.

The spiraling descent was rather brief and anticlimactic with Draco getting flung out of an open door. Letting out a small huff, he picked himself up and did his best to tidy up his robe, then proceeded to open his mouth to rip the Muggleborn a new one for her rash decision. It never happened, or rather, his spiteful anger was replaced by intrigue and confusion when he took a look around the room.

"What the hell is this?" Draco spat out, not being able to comprehend what it was that he was seeing.

Upon hearing his voice, Hermione turned around and raised one of her eyebrows. "Well, this entire contraption is what the Muggles would call a computer. I can't say that I'm entirely familiar with how this particular machine would run, since it isn't set-up in its usual way."

"Come-pewder? Masheen?"

Plastered against the wall was a giant monitor, one that was split into multiple sections that projected different displays. Right below it was a table that held a whole slew of different buttons, all of which were marked with garbled letters and numbers. Interestingly enough, there were manifold pipes connected to both the screen and the panel. On top of all that, there were runes carved all around them.

It was a grand spectacle indeed.

"This is truly incredible!" Hermione gushed. "I don't know what they did to make this function, but the combination of technology and magic is really mind boggling to the point that I can't even fathom how they made this possible. I mean, doing something like this should be near impossible since the Headmaster did explain how the lack of such items was only because of badly these things become haywire and the sorts... "

When Draco learned that the odd device was of Muggle origin, his first reaction was to scoff and ignore it altogether. However, he was also curious about the point that the Mudblood had raised concerning the technology inside of the sewers. Ultimately, he found his pride overriding his inquisitiveness, making him squelch his interest. Letting out a sigh, he immediately went about scouring the room for an exit.

The young witch on the other hand carefully studied the scribed runes, doing her best to memorize them for future reference. She also looked down upon the buttons and couldn't resist pressing a few of them. Just as she expected, either they were not working or her input sequence was entirely wrong. Backing away from the controller, Hermione looked at the entirety of the board, hoping to come across some sort of revelation.

"I don't see a door anywhere...do we get out by climbing back up the slide?"

While Draco continued the search, Hermione kept looking at the strange conglomerate of letters and numbers that were strewn on the control panel. It seemed oddly familiar to her, yet her inability to place her finger on the reason baffled her. Did she see this in a dream? Maybe from a past experience that she glossed over?

"This is complete shite," Draco complained loudly. "There are no doors anywhere and it's impossible to go up that slide without the use of magic. It's like taking a N.E.W.T. in Arithmancy, blindfolded."

Feeling frustrated by the mental roadblock, Hermione was about to impolitely tell the snobby pureblood to quiet down when inspiration struck her. Shakily taking a deep breath, she looked over the buttons once again with a different perspective on them as her mind began to make sense of what her eyes were seeing.

"Malfoy! If you weren't such a deplorable tosser, then I would hug you right now!"

Draco froze in his steps and turned to face the speaker while glowering, "Don't you dare touch me, I don't want to be corrupted by inferior blood."

Hermione felt too jubilant to have her mood be dampened by a petty insult. Immediately putting her hypothesis to the test, she pressed a few series of buttons and turned her head to the giant monitor. It had the effect of replacing the static, blank screen with visions of the tunnels that they had visited.

"Look, aren't these the places that we've already been through?" she asked, finally getting his attention.

"I'm not sure what I'm looking at or how you even did it, but I do know that this won't help us with our problem now, will it? Would you stop playing around with that hideous thing and do something useful for once?"

"Just hold on a minute," Hermione said as she pointed to the projector. "You might not know this, but generally speaking, computers are able to store an infinite amount of information inside of them."

"Infinite?" Draco repeated as he looked at the machine and snorted. "Granger, I'm fairly certain that you've completely lost the plot now. Muggles showing intelligence? Please, the only thing they've demonstrated is that they're no better than a magical creature - violent and boorish. At least the animals know their place in our society."

Hermione palmed her face and shook her head while letting out a sigh before speaking, "I get it, you don't like Muggles, so just stop repeating yourself alright? It's getting tiresome to keep hearing the same spiel come out from you." Pinching the bridge of her nose, she turned back to the computer and started to press some buttons again.

Draco stared at the Muggle-born for a few seconds before shaking his head and walking away from her. Letting out a sigh, he leaned back against a wall and closed his eyes. Usually, he would have made a retort to the scathing comment that Hermione had made, leading them into a larger argument. However, he did not feel compelled into following the usual routine, instead opting to stay silent and listen to the odd sounds coming from the machine.

 _ **Beep beep beep**_

Some time passed between the two, with Hermione busily tapping away at the magically imbued keyboard and Draco taking a light nap. It was a surreal passing moment, with both of them occupying the same room, but neither wanting to agitate the other. The silence was eventually broken by the bushy-haired witch.

"Malfoy, come take a look at this." Hermione excitedly pointed to the monitor. The screen had split off into a dozen or so smaller panels, each of them holding a different view from the other. However, the main aspect that made her thrilled with the result was what was shown for each of the split templates. All of the areas that they had visited, along with the ones that they had missed, were in full display for them.

Draco blinked a few times, ignoring the useless yapping that came from his female companion's mouth. His eyes glazed over the screen, trying to absorb as much of the information as he possibly could. Even though he still did not come close to understanding this Muggle artifact, he begrudgingly gave it a modicum of respect.

"Granger," Draco managed to cut in between the girl's explanation, "I'm guessing that you didn't call me over just to show me this, right?"

Hermione shook her head and pointed to the upper right-hand corner. It was one of the doors that the pair had to ignore since it was locked with a strange mechanism. They had tried to cast an Alohomora on it, but the door was still tightly shut.

"And...now it's open!" Hermione proclaimed with a hint of pride in her voice. The blonde wizard squinted at the still picture, watching the light surrounding the door turn from red to green. He shook his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose before replying,

"That still doesn't answer my initial question, Granger, how the hell are we getting out of this bloody place? We've been stuck here for an eternity and a half!"

Biting her lower lip, Hermione shook her head and felt her cheeks heat up while answering, "I-I was a bit too busy trying to figure this thing out, so I may have overlooked the conundrum that we are currently facing."

Huffing in frustration, Draco spat on the ground before stomping over to the machine. Gritting his teeth, he then raised his leg and gave the keyboard a hard kick. Letting out a small yelp, Hermione stood up and tried to separate the blonde away from the computer.

"Malfoy, what are you doing?"

Growling, Draco shoved the girl to the side and swiftly kicked the contraption a few more times, each successive hit resulting in a harder one from the last. Seeing his actions producing considerable results, he was prepared to damage the machine again when he was halted by Hermione. More specifically, she had charged right into the blonde, tackling him with her shoulders and causing both of them to fall to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Hermione screeched, looking at her arch nemesis in disbelief. "Just stop it already!"

"I don't bloody care anymore, Granger," Draco responded in a tired tone. "Rather than look for an exit, all you've done is tinker with that stupid Muggle contraption. I swear to Merlin, do you want to get out of here, or be stuck down in this hole all day?"

Before the argument could further escalate to its usual caustic heights, loud beeping sounds from the computer interrupted any thoughts of continuation.

 **OPENING** **DATABASE** **– ACCESSING EXPERIMENT FILE: WRAITH PROJECT**

Opening his mouth, Draco was about to ask Hermione a question when she quickly shook her head, immediately denying any knowledge of what the machine was about to do. Both of them stood back up on their feet and approached the giant monitor. It only took a few moments for the computer to start uploading a wall of text onto the screen.

 **NOTE #1: A HYPOTHESIS WAS FORMED ON THE ORIGINS OF THESE CREATURES CALLED EVOLVED. WE ARE IN NEED OF SOME TEST SUBJECTS.**

Now, Draco was no slouch when it came to academics, he certainly prided himself on being able to produce the needed results to pass his class. But, when he saw that the presented information hardly contained anything helpful for their current situation, he went back to searching for the exit.

On the other hand, Hermione was unable to detach her eyes from what she was reading. At first, she was tempted to emulate Draco and completely ignore the computer. But she found herself unable to do so since her innate curiosity demanded that she continue reading. Her efforts eventually paid out dividends when she began to learn some interesting details. She learned the purpose behind the creation of such a grandiose facility, and also what they were attempting to research. At least that was what she was able to digest from all the data that was on display.

"Oy Granger!" Hermione's ears were able to discern a change in tonality from Draco's voice. Gone was the frustrated whinging that accompanied him for the past half hour, with it being replaced by one filled with hope.

"I think I found a way out," Draco said while pointing to a square tile on the wall. "From what I can tell, it's a type of ventilation shaft of sorts."

Crouching down, Draco wrapped his fingers around the holes of the vent cover and gave it a hard tug. Managing to pull it off from the wall, he wiped his hands upon his robe before saying, "Granger, I'm going on ahead, I'd rather not spend another minute down here."

Before Hermione could make a rebuttal, Draco ducked his head into the ventilation area and started crawling through it. He was pleasantly surprised to find the shaft to be relatively cleaner than expected. Of course, his experience with these things were limited to when he had explored the Malfoy Manor and subsequently thought of the vent akin to a 'secret passage'.

Partway through the passage, Draco spotted a familiar looking parchment from the corner of his eyes. Hesitating for a split second, he reached out and grabbed the piece of paper. His eyes all but confirmed that this was a note written by his ex-classmate.

 _(illegible scribbling)  
_ _This is it  
_ _I'm going to die  
_ _(illegible scribbling)  
_ _I'm trapped here  
_ _Everyone else is dead  
_ _(illegible scribbling)  
_ _(illegible scribbling)  
_ _Don't come here  
_ _(illegible scribbling)_

 _-Not_

The legibility of the note, combined with the incomplete signature of his ex-mate all pointed to the sign of a desperate individual. Draco was curious on both the status of Theodore, and the timeline of the note. Was he alright? Was he still alive? Just what was it that spooked him into writing at such a frantic pace? He was also concerned with this threat that had placed his fellow Slytherin in such a state of panic. Whatever this thing was, it still existed and was out there roaming the sewers.

Letting out a sigh, Draco rubbed the tip of his nose before crumpling up the note and tossing it to the side. He knew that lingering on this issue would not lead to any tangible answers. If there was an important lesson that the House of Slytherin taught, it was business first, pleasure second. With how he was conditioned with his past upbringings, he found this to be quite difficult. Anything that he wanted, his parents would indulge his desire. It was only after an intervention from some older Slytherin members that he had realized the errors of his mannerism.

 _"It looks like this is the end of the vents."_ Draco took a look around to confirm his conjecture. Aside from the circular fence that impeded his forward progress, he saw nothing else resembling an exit.

"Granger, hurry up and get over here already."

"Wait, hold on a second Malfoy, I think there's something you should be aware of here..."

"Don't know, don't care," Draco muttered under his breath while rolling his eyes in exasperation. The two of them were co-existing simply upon the agreement of tolerance, which meant that they were interacting solely for the purpose of surviving. Even under these terms, he had found her to be maddeningly impossible.

Draco briefly examined the ventilation exit and found it unlocked. Pushing the gate to the side, he slid himself out from the last remaining portion of the shaft. Gracefully landing on his feet, the blonde wizard took stock of his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the massive drop in temperature. It wasn't a momentary chill where the difference in one room could be felt from the next. Rather, the entire area that he landed in was a giant freezer.

"For Salazar's sake," Draco said while wrapping his hands around his arms. "Why is there such a big fridge inside of the sewers? I should probably head back before..."

"...honestly Malfoy, if you had just waited a few minutes for me to explain things, then you would know what would be at the end of the ventilation...shaft?"

Hermione knelt down onto the floor and copied Draco's poise – arms wrapped tightly around her body. Shivering from the absurd, frigid condition of the room, she did her best to create some form of insult. "Malfoy...you impatient tosser," she managed to sputter out in between the chattering of her teeth. "If you only waited...for...me...?"

Any conversation that Hermione wanted to have was eliminated when she saw the object that Draco was pointing to. It was a body – a frozen, naked one to be more precise, and on top of that, there were more than a handful of them hanging down from the ceiling. After further inspection, they saw that all the corpses seemed to have three things in common. The first would be in that even with the lack of any garment covering them, neither of the two were able to discern any of the genders. Secondly was how every single one was visibly missing at least one limb, and their faces as well. Lastly was how that all of the bodies had the Dark Mark manifested on their left forearm.

Still, unlike the previous room that was beholden to the mysterious Muggle technology, this one was quite bare. Aside from the grotesque anatomy decorum and a large table with red spots, the room did not appear to have anything else worth noting. After careful inspection, Draco noticed that the ruby splotches on the big stand were not part of the intended design. Even though he was physically unable to confirm it, he was 99% certain of its identification.

"This is blood," Draco said in a matter-of-fact tone while brushing his hand over the frozen table.

Raising her right eyebrow, Hermione bit her lower lip and tilted her head before asking, "You sure that's blood? I mean..." The rest of her sentence trailed off with the witch wistfully rubbing the sides of her arm. Sure, she had a few things that she wanted to inquire about, but none of it seemed pertinent at the moment.

"I think the exit's right over there," Draco dryly remarked, pointing to the opposite side. The two quickly made their way around to the door and attempted to open it when they came across a minor problem.

"Malfoy, hurry up and get that thing open! I'm cold and freezing and...and cold here!"

"S-shut up Granger! Can't you see that I'm trying?" Draco snipped back, doing his best to open the door. Much to his irritation, he found that the handle was not moving because of either the cold temperature or the lock.

 _ **"Alohomora!"**_ Hermione shouted out behind him, her voice indicating the clear impatience that she was feeling. Unfortunately, the lock picking spell was not enough to get the door open.

"Merlin, Granger! Are you trying to-"

"Shut it, Malfoy!" Granger glared at him coldly, "Unless the next words from your mouth are ones that'll help us out of this bloody freezer. I don't wanna hear it!"

Draco scowled but held his tongue and turned his attention back to the originator of their frustration. Making up his mind, he pushed Mudblood to the side while growling at her, "Out of the way, Granger."

The Malfoy heir ran forward and slammed his entire weight upon the frozen blockade. This resulted in hurting both his body and his ego, with the door still remaining shut. Rubbing the part that he had injured, Draco looked over at Hermione before asking her, "Are you gonna stand there and do fuck all, or will you help me with this bloody door?"

 _ **"Depulso!"**_ Hermione shouted, watching the spell hit the entryway.

"Granger!" Draco furiously hissed at the caster. "Did the drop in temperature also manage to drop your intelligence?"

Coolly looking back at the pureblood, Hermione quipped, "Sod it, Malfoy. If we're going to be in any danger, then it won't be compounded by the fact that I've cast two spells in a row. Also, I'm not as strong as you are, which means that if I were to emulate your actions, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything."

Digging his hands into his hair, Draco glared at Hermione before kicking the door out of frustration. Everything that was boiling up to that point became extinguished when he heard the door creak, signaling that it had finally moved. Taking a step back, he motioned with his head for the witch to use the spell again.

 _ **"Depulso!"**_ Hermione cast it once more, causing the door to be pushed a bit more forward, giving the two just enough space to squeeze by. When they stepped into the next section, neither individuals were prepared for the aberrant sight that greeted them.

The room had three rows of lockers, all of them lined up perfectly parallel with each other. At the far corner was a ladder and at the opposite side was presumably the exit. However, the spectacle that horrified them out of their wits were the loose body parts that were found everywhere they looked. Arms, legs, spleens, kidneys, and anything else that could be found in the human anatomy were scattered all over the place. To make matters worse, their sense of smell was also violated by a horrendously, thick repugnant scent that was coming from the rotting carcasses.

"M-Malfoy..." Hermione softly spoke out, her condensed breath visibly huffing from her lips, doing her best not to gag from the sight and smell. "I think we should leave this place right now."

Noting the desperation in her voice, Draco nodded in response and hurried over to the other side of the room. Just like all the other doors they had previously encountered, this one was locked as well. Rather than waste time and struggle with the lock, they decided to explore an alternative route – the ladder that they had seen earlier.

"Hold on," Draco said in between his clattering teeth, "I'll go alone from here, stay here and watch my back in case something...comes up." Rubbing his forehead and mumbling to himself, he rummaged around his robes before taking out the black firearm. Tossing it to Hermione, the blonde continued to mutter things before shouting out, "If you see something, just shoot it alright?"

Draco shook his head of any incoming second thoughts before quickly scaling the short ladder. Landing on the second tiered platform, the blonde scouted around and found a metallic panel at the end of the hallway. Aside from the big red button, he was unable to spot anything else of interest around the area.

 _"Now that I think about it,"_ Draco mulled while pressing the button. _"Why is this the only place in the entire room not to have any dismembered body parts lying on the floor?"_

"Malfoy! Whatever you did, it seems to have worked!"

Shaking off the lingering thoughts, Draco began to make his way back to the exit. Unfortunately, when he made his way to the ladder he found his progress entirely halted. Standing in the blonde's way was a monstrosity so mind-bogglingly hideous that it literally left him paralyzed and speechless.

The mutant was one that transcended the imagination of even the worst creatures that were conjured up to scare young children to obey their parents. This monster, just like the Evolved, was completely pale with veins threatening to pop out from under its grey skin. But, that was where the similarities ended, with this one being almost double its size and height. Just by standing it was able to give off an intimidating aura that was only compounded by its disgusting appearance. The body of the creature was essentially a big slab of rotting human flesh. It seemed like a bunch of inward organs had been plastered and sewn onto it without much care for detail. There were also numerous arms and legs that appeared to be attached to the monster at different angles. Perhaps the most disturbing thing was all of the human-like faces that appeared on its head, with some of the eyes and mouth moving, indicating that they were still somewhat active.

Draco had no idea how he could've missed such a monstrosity in an area that didn't have any visibly hidden crevices. Either the monster was able to disillusion itself or it had come from the one place that he had failed to account for – the ceiling.

For a moment, it seemed like the giant blob of decrepit flesh had somehow missed Draco's presence. This reprieve only lasted for a brief second when one of the eyes on the back of its head locked onto the blonde. A face located around the side twisted in agony before letting out an extremely loud and barbaric howl. He stared wide eyed at this sickening display before blurting out,

"Merlin!"

 **[Merlin!]**

The grotesque monster clumsily managed to turn itself around, squaring up the front part of its body with Draco's line of sight. The Malfoy heir tightly gripped his wand and stared at the blob with total desperation. He knew that there was no possible venue for him to safely retreat to. Going backwards would only lead him back to the button and trying to get past this thing would be an exercise that only reckless Gryffindors would attempt. He did have one option that he could try, but it would be more of a last ditch effort than anything else.

Draco wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stave off the chill that he felt crawling into his bones. If there was one positive that he could draw from this, it was that the Mudblood wasn't anywhere near him. He wagered that when the door became unlocked, she had hurried out as soon as she could to get out of the room.

 _"I would do the same thing if I were in her shoes, especially if I knew a monster like this would be waiting at the top level."_ Draco closed his eyes and took a deep breath before rolling up his left sleeve. Slipping his right hand down into the pocket, he tightly gripped his wand and mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. However, once the moment arrived, he found himself unable to control his own body.

When the monster closed the proximity between them, Draco had inexplicably released his fingers from the wand and found himself staring right at one of the mutilated face. The thing's eyes were half-open and scarred, the mouth was drooling black sludge from the corners of its mouth, while its swollen, bubbling tongue was constantly exposed. Still, even if he wanted to, for some odd reason he was unable to tear his eyes away from this travesty.

Draco blinked a few times and smiled when he suddenly felt a strange sense of serenity wash over him. It didn't bother him that the giant, gray blob of compiled fat was closely hovering over him. He also didn't panic when one of the distorted faces opened its mouth and began vomiting chunks of rotting flesh. The spilled guts, in turn, became attached to the monster's chest while its intestine slowly started crawling up the blonde's feet. Before he could comprehend anything that he had witnessed, a flash of light temporarily blinded him.

"Th-Theo?" Draco asked in wonder, his sense of sight having been returned to him. Against such impossible odds and circumstances, he was somehow meeting his old classmate again. "Is...is that really you? I mean, how? What?"

Looking at Draco with a sad expression on his face, Theodore responded, _"You know, you and the rest of the Slytherin were right all along."_

"Theo..."

 _"I started trusting people,"_ Theodore answered in a despondent manner. Laughing bitterly, he continued, _"Instead of staying true to my roots, I began putting my confidence in others, especially those that weren't part of Slytherin."_

Draco began to feel his head throb, his knees shake, and his vision blur. Something was wrong with him, right?

 _"They betrayed me Draco! All of them! They didn't even think twice before choosing to completely abandon me in favor of saving themselves!"_

Everything was starting to become white. Where was he again? Huh?

 _"Draco,"_ the familiar voice continued to speak, " _Me, you, and the rest of the snakes...we were all cursed from the moment we were sorted into the Slytherin house."_

Draco Lucius Malfoy. That name sounded like it came from the distant past and was in some way connected to him.

 _"TRUST NOBODY DRACO! DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID! YOU SHOULD-"_

 _ **Bang!**_

Theodore suddenly halted in his rage fueled speech and slowly tilted his head sideways while staring blankly at Draco.

 _ **Bang!**_

A loud, harsh screech followed the sound of the second shot of the discharged firearm, and at the same time, Draco had unceremoniously fallen to one knee while feeling a huge drop of pressure in the atmosphere. He had found himself profusely sweating and gasping for breath. Confused and disoriented by the sudden shift in the scenery not once, but twice, he shakily brought his hand over his forehead before puking out blood.

"...Malfoy? Are you alright, Malfoy?"

The blonde slumped to the floor and felt the back of his head bash against something solid. He was aware that someone was trying to grab his attention, but he found it impossible to focus on anything around him. Closing his eyes, he took a second to recompose himself before slowly opening them again.

"G-Granger?" Draco managed to croak out, still feeling weak from the after-effects of the odd flash of hallucination that he had experienced. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione shook her head, "We have to get out of here now! I don't think two shots from the firearm will be good enough to keep that...that experiment down for long."

Without thinking about her actions, Hermione extended her hand to give the blonde some assistance. Whether it was due to the urgency of their situation or the poor condition that Draco was in, he took it without any complaints. As soon as he was able to stand back up, the pair hurriedly made their way out of the upper level. When they passed by the fallen, deformed mutant, Draco noticed that all of the 'faces' on the head were grimacing in agony. However, there was one in particular that caught his attention, and that was the one he knew as 'Theodore Nott'.

"Malfoy!" Hermione shouted, tearing Draco away from the desolate gaze of the creature. "You're doing it again! Don't stop to stare at the Wraith! Just keep moving or we're both gonna die!"

Weakly stumbling forward, Draco managed to pry himself away from the magnetizing field of the blob. They were able to climb down the ladder without a hitch, but once they had reached the lockers, they heard the furious roar of the monster. Doing their best to ignore the reverberating echo of the creature's outcry, both of them headed straight for the door. Unfortunately for them, the rotten ball of flesh turned out to be a lot more agile than it appeared. It had somehow managed to jump down from the second floor all the way to where they were, all in what seemed like a single bound to them.

"?!"

The sound that came out of it was a combination of a garbled mishmash of noise that ranged from a high pitched scream to a harsh low growl. It was an unidentifiable mess of intonation that rattled the ear drums of the two individuals. Both Draco and Hermione clambered backward, making a run for the lockers, hoping that it would provide them a temporary cover.

"Granger, I'm going to create an opening for you to shoot that firearm at the fat monstrosity. Make sure it's a good one alright?"

Before Hermione could ask for him to clarify what his plan was, the aforementioned mutant had ripped through the locker, forcing her to jump away from Draco. She had no idea what to expect from her arch-nemesis since all he offered was a vague description of what he might do. For a moment, the witch considered buying herself time by hitting the thing with a couple of spells. But she decided to keep herself from casting anything, in fear of it being a waste of her energy.

 _ **"Expulso!"**_ Draco's voice came echoing from the other side. A burst of blue light exploded right on the mutant's body, the produced force being enough to knock it off balance. However, it was obvious that it wouldn't be enough to do any significant damage to it.

 _ **"Confringo!"**_ The blasting curse came flying onto the gray blob, making it stumble further onto the torn down lockers. Hermione stood in amazement at the amount of sheer power that she felt behind each of the spells that Draco was casting when she heard him address her. "Granger, what are you waiting for? Shoot it in the face! I can't this do for much longer! _**Reducto!"**_

Lifting up the black hand cannon with both hands, Hermione felt her arms tremble while she was aiming it at the creature's head. Taking a deep breath, she started reminding herself of one of her most cherished childhood memories. It was enough to calm her nerves and stop her hands from shaking long enough for her to unload a few shots at the giant mass of flesh.

"ARGH!" The disgusting sludge gargled out, awkwardly flopping down to the floor before flailing around like a fish out of water. While a good portion of its head had sustained an injury, Hermione didn't let her guard down and prepared herself to discharge the firearm again.

"Granger!" Draco gasped out weakly, running to her side. "Let's get out of here, now!"

When they noticed the Wraith slowly getting back up, the duo redoubled their efforts in leaving the room as fast as they could. Once they reached the exit, Hermione paused at the door and began tinkering with something on the side. Draco immediately became panicked from both the witch stopping to play with something and the rapidly approaching monster.

Pulling on Hermione's robes, he angrily shouted at her, "What the bloody hell are you doing?! You're gonna get us both killed!"

"I'm almost done here! Just let go and trust me, alright?

Draco glowered at Hermione but instead of arguing with her, decided to stand in front of her. Just when the conglomerate of decaying flesh came into view, she shouted, "I'm ready, let's leave!"

Not wasting another second, the pair quickly jumped out of the door, only to see the inhuman creature closing in on them. For a split second, Draco could've sworn that a saddened expression had overtaken his old classmate while he had mouthed to him what seemed to be, _'Trust nobody.'_

Overcome with fury, Draco spat out, "Merlin! The door! Close it, Granger! Close it!"

Letting out a roar, the Wraith made a last ditch attempt by stretching out one of its arms to try and grab one of them. However, it was at that moment the exit, without warning, suddenly slammed itself shut.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Look at all the other previous chapters. If I owned Harry Potter, would I even be writing these?

* * *

 _Draco._

...

 _Draco._

Just a few more minutes.

 _Draco Lucius Malfoy. Presumptive heir to the House of Malfoy, and also the last known male link to the Black lineage, via Narcissa Malfoy née Black._

He lazily opened his eyes. He was still inside the train compartment? Why didn't they wake him up when they arrived at Hogwarts? He really didn't understand why they always insisted on waking him up early. They weren't in their first year anymore, this shouldn't be anything new to them.

Wait...

 **[Wait...]**

Wasn't he supposed to be at the sewers? Where was he and what was he doing here?

 _I see that you've finally regained a modicum of awareness of yourself, Draco Lucius Malfoy. We don't have much time, just sit there and listen to what I have to say._

A carbon copy of his image appeared right before his eyes and dusted its robes off before comfortably sitting on the other side. He was outright confused at this point. What was going on here? Who or what was this thing? He wanted some kind of explanation for this farce of a spectacle.

 _I find it fitting that your journey is depicted as a passenger on a train. Watching your entire life go by like a mere spectator without doing much to influence the outcome. The only time you would move is when the transportation vehicle finally stops at your destination._

Did this thing believe that it could get away with speaking such impudent words? How dare it presume to know who he was. All it did was emulate his appearance, this mirror-like image had no idea who it was speaking to.

 _For a majority of your life, you were constantly juxtaposed to the large, imposing shadow that came with being the Malfoy heir. But what people did not realize was that you were also trying to uphold yourself to the Black family name as well, right?_

What? How? These were thoughts that no one should be privy to. He could deny it all he wanted, but in the end, who would he be fooling? Also, why was he still listening to this thing?

 _Allow me to impart upon you a message before you leave for what you deem to be reality. Since the inception of my creation...no, perhaps it was when I became self-aware, I started to question the purpose of my existence. I wanted to ask my makers but how were they going to help me? They merely saw me as an experiment, one that would be discarded after the initial stages._

He didn't know why, but he decided to stay silent and allow this mirror to continue its odd monologue.

 _The first time I absorbed an individual, I was able to sift through their life and make this person's identity my own. However, this didn't solve anything. I was still an unknown entity. I still couldn't answer the question. Worse, when I went through this process, I could feel the person's despair, anguish, and pain becoming transferred to me._

 _It hurt to do this, but I couldn't stop. Someone told me that if I kept doing it, then I would find what I was looking for. I didn't know if it was true, but I pinned my hopes upon this._

 _Every time there were people near me, I indiscriminately went after them. I was able to procure all of their information, and in turn they became a part of me. Still, did that get me closer to what I was seeking?_

His head began to hurt. Why was he still here? He didn't want to hear any more of this inane drivel. The only thing he wanted to do now was find Granger and finish the mission that he had stupidly started.

 _Draco Lucius Malfoy, I might have been a creature born of human curiosity, but from all that I have seen from you and the other purebloods, I can say, with confidence, that there isn't much that separates us._

 _From the start of your first year in Hogwarts, you were forced to keep a careful balance between the expectations set by your father and those of your mother. Half a Malfoy, and half a Black. This meant that you never had an option in what you wanted to do, Draco Malfoy._

He tried to gather magic into his core. Empty. Useless. Still, he was somehow able to cast a few spells at his carbon copy. Silently and wandlessly.

 _However, you have managed to do something that not many purebloods will ever do in their lifetime._

SHUT UP!

 _Looks like I'm out of time. I'll leave you for now, but I commend you for making a choice. This was not made with consideration to any consequence, but rather one that Draco, the person, made. I predict that it won't be long before you come back here again. Until then, it will be interesting to see if you will ever find the answer to this question._

The train compartment began to fade into white, most of the construct disappearing into nothingness before the voice asked.

 _Who are you, Draco Malfoy?_

 **[Could...could you tell me more about what happened to her now?]**

* * *

Hermione let out a small groan when she felt the sunrays hit her eyes. She rolled to her side and began coughing before gurgling out some water. It tasted salty and unpleasant. Why couldn't they have grabbed some water before leaving Hogwarts? Then again, nobody had told her that she would be traveling through some elaborately built sewage-lab system underneath Hogsmeade with Draco Malfoy. At the mention of his name, a frown appeared on her face while she shook her head, trying to recall the previous event.

 _"I remember running away from a horde of Evolved and almost got away. I grabbed Malfoy's hand and then..."_

Hermione took a look at her surroundings and noticed that she had woken up at the shores of a beach. The rough sand scraping her skin, the dull roar from the ocean, and the unconscious body of the blonde wizard all but confirmed that she wasn't dreaming. She tried to lift herself up when she felt as though she was hit by a _**Confundus.**_

A sense of vertigo overcame Hermione, making her fall back down on the sand.  
A wave of nausea rolled over her mind, causing her to close her eyes.

Maybe she could lie here and rest for a few hours? Yes, sleep sounded good. Hermione felt a cool breeze sweep across her body.

 **[Could you go back further?]**

* * *

 _ **Note #8: From what we have been able to surmise, these 'magical' folks have a monster that is similar to the Evolved. I was reliably told that it is called a Dementor...**_

 _ **Note #9: The Evolved seek to sustain their lifeforms by draining the 'magic' out of people. When doing so, the victim appears to sort of transforms into a similar creature that had just assaulted them.**_

 _ **-Evolved drains magic. Takes away humanity.  
**_ _ **-Dementor drains happiness. Takes away soul.**_

 _ **Hypothesis: The Evolved is merely a lower evolutionary stage of the Dementor.**_

 _ **Materials: Human guinea pigs**_

 _ **Purpose: Experimentation for further study**_

 _ **Procedure: Hunt down the ones that call themselves wizards and witches.**_

 _ **End Goal: Create a being that will be able to take away a person's very identity.**_

 _Who was the author of these notes? It sounded very...Muggle to her. From the bits and pieces that she had currently seen, this group were either Muggle-borns that hated all things magic, or the other option was...Hermione shook her head and erased the last thought from her head. To even make such an assumption would be basing it on the fact that the impossible would have to happen. There was more to read._

 _ **We managed to capture a human...a witch, that was in the middle of the transformation. It was quite fascinating to watch her go from having a body with distinct feminine traits to that of an androgynous grey anatomy.**_

 _ **Placed in stasis.**_

 _ **One thing that hasn't changed is the insignia on its left arm. Is there some sort of connection?**_

 _ **Update: Currently captured a group of witches and wizards. Some of them have the mark, others do not. Does having the mark make a difference?**_

 _ **Proposal: Use newly transformed monster and attach separate body parts to it.**_

 _Hermione couldn't help but blankly stare at the screen. Everything that she had read so far was quite horrid and beyond anything that she could've ever imagined. There were plenty of books that had outlined the atrocities that people had committed against each other. However, she had merely used to view them to be points of reference, something that happened in the far distant past. Hence why she was able to objectively detach herself from the described horror. But this...?_

 _ **Experiment File #0194: Everything is going according to plan...no, better yet, this is beyond what we could've ever imagined the "Wraith" would do.**_

 _ **What we have decided to do is place the captives in compromising positions in the room we have dubbed "meat locker". Some of them are tied up, others are wounded, blinded, dying, didn't matter, we just wanted all of them to be put into a condition that was somewhat critical.**_

 _ **While they were struggling to adapt to their situation, we released the monster onto those unsuspecting...freaks. These magic users consider us less than human, so why should we not return the favor?**_

 _ **Just like the Evolved, it was somewhat impervious to spells. Whenever a victim got caught, they would stand there with a mesmerized look on their face before becoming a blank slate. They essentially look like wax figurines.**_

 _ **I wonder what they see when they become...enraptured with the Wraith?**_

 _ **Oops, I just heard the screams from the last survivor. Going to have to go down there with the crew and clean up the mess.**_

 _Hermione weakly fell to her knees after reading the last tidbit of information. Had the war affected people so badly to the point where they abandoned all sense of morality? She had so many unanswered questions just begging to be acknowledged. But with her limited knowledge of how the computer operated, there weren't many options available to her._

 _It also didn't help that her infuriating, blonde partner had gone ahead without giving her an opportunity to read through all of these files._

 _ **OBV Note: This is not a trick or a prank. If you are reading this and none of this makes sense to you, then these magic people have managed to erase your memory. If none of this is familiar, then press the safe combination on the keypad.**_

 _Hermione slammed her elbows onto the surface of the keyboard, shocked at the implication that she was able to infer from the latest note. It just didn't seem like a possibility to her, with the Statute of Secrecy, and many other barriers separating the magical world from the Muggle. However, it was just like one of her favorite detective characters said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Right, Mr. Holmes?"_

 _Still, just how were Muggles able to breach this world?_

 _ **If there are any survivors reading this...we made a mistake. We grew overconfident. Somehow the monster became sentient. We made our usual round of cleaning up after the latest group. One of the wizards were still alive.**_

 _ **We were unprepared for this possibility.**_

 _ **He surprised us.**_

 _ **We became disorganized.**_

 _ **The Wraith took this opportunity to attack us.**_

 _ **How could such a miscalculation happen? I barely managed to escape but...my life will come to an end soon. I will die from either a lack of food or water...raiding with this wound and going out solo in this magical world would be suicide.**_

 _ **Before I die, maybe I will test out a theory on how to properly neutralize the Wraith. I've noticed that the creatures seems vulnerable during its odd draining phase.**_

 _ **I shall be the bait.**_

 _ **Science will emerge victorious.**_

 _Hermione looked over to the ventilation shaft that she had seen Draco crawl into and became concerned. According to these files, the Wraith was still alive, and it was down inside of a refrigerated area somewhere. She didn't know how much time they would have down there, but talking about her discovery would be futile. Once she caught up to her arch-nemesis, she was going to make sure that they would leave the area as fast as possible._

 **[Go a bit further please]**

* * *

 _Hermione heard a loud buzzing sound echo from the chambers before seeing a small remote panel appear at the side of the door. She was hesitant about fiddling with the controller that had just recently popped into existence. There had yet to be any sightings of the Wraith anywhere, but it could merely mean that it was held in stasis somewhere and this was used to free it. However, for this scenario to be a possibility, that would mean that the individual who was inputting the entries would've somehow neutralized the monster._

 _There was no point in conjecturing about all of the probabilities that may or may not occur with her actions. Time was of the essence, and with too many unknown variables to account for, she knew that the best thing to do was continue to move forward and to escape from the sewers._

 _Taking a look at the small panel, Hermione saw that it had a few buttons and commands that were displayed on the prompt. The one that interested her the most was the one that read 'Open/Close'. Moving her finger over to the confirmation button, she watched the door slowly open from the side._

 _Everything was going to be alright. The monster was nowhere to be found and the exit should be within striking distance. All they had to do was get out of this room._

 _"Malfoy!" Hermione shouted, hoping that her voice would carry over to where the blonde was located. "Whatever you did, it seems to have worked!"_

 _She waited for his snarky response. Nothing.  
_ _She waited for some type of affirmation. Nothing.  
_ _She waited for any kind of noise to come from him. Nothing._

 _Hermione not only started to become increasingly annoyed, but became worried at the same time. During the duration of their journey, Draco had always made sure to somehow get his presence acknowledged. It also didn't help that he was still up on the upper tier wasting time when it was clear to the two of them that escape was at the top of their priority list. It was foolish of her to think otherwise, but she would not abandon Draco. Not when she had her own mission to do. Not until they had reached the agreed meeting point with the Order._

 _"No..." Hermione whispered to herself when doubt began to creep into her mind. Even if she wanted to deny it, she knew that it was more than likely that Draco had bumped into the Wraith. Taking a deep breath, she reached into her robe and took a firm grip upon the cold handle of the firearm before taking out her wand and chanting,_ _ **"Homenum Revelio."**_

 _According to her wand, Draco was still up there, but he wasn't alone. With the confirmation of her fears materializing, Hermione quickened her gait, hoping to reach him on time. However, just when she went past a pile of dismembered bodies, a strange sensation washed over the bushy-haired witch. A bone-chilling shudder had run down her spine, which she found to be most unexpected. For the past half-hour or so, she had been under constant duress from the freezing conditions of the room._

 _Hermione stood in disbelief when she was greeted by the two people that she did not expect to see._

 _"Mom? Dad?" Hermione muttered, feeling hints of tears swell up in her eyes. She felt her shoulders begin to tremble while her body slouched forward ever so slightly. While she didn't know what kind of spell was at work here, the brunette was able to process the fact that the scene before her was an impossibility._

 _She had personally alternated her parent's memory before the whole Horcrux hunt even began._

 _"Get out of my head!" Hermione furiously screamed at the illusion. "How...how dare you taunt me with images of those that I hold dear to my heart!"_

 _Pointing her wand at the picture, she then yelled, "_ _ **Finite Incantatem!"**_

 _The false picture of her parents smiled and waved at her before exploding into thousands of bright, illuminated flowers. A few of the florets shattered into petals, slowly showering down onto the stunned witch. She didn't know if it was part of the illusion or if her mind was playing a trick on her, but while passing through the pretty white floral, she heard the voice of her mother echoing in her ear, "We will always be proud of you."_

 _Hermione fell down to her knees and let out a small sob. Even if she knew it was a hallucination, it had been too much for her. If there was one thing that she was terrified of, it was meeting death before clearing away the memory alteration that she had placed on her parents. Never had she felt such vulnerability, especially toward her own mortality, until she went on this hackneyed trip with her blonde arch-nemesis._

 _No, she was going to survive this botched excursion and see all of her friends and family again. Hermione pushed herself forcefully to her feet and hastened to where Draco had to be._

 _By the time she had reached him, she saw a giant, disgusting mutant that was standing right in front of the blonde. She was witnessing the exact thing that was indicated on the computer entries that she had read. Her arch-nemesis was beginning to lose the colorings on his body, and his face had slackened to an expression that she thought she would never see – one of serenity and peace._

 _"I guess we'll see if the theory proves correct or not," Hermione mumbled to herself. Drawing a deep breath, she then raised the black firearm onto the back of the Wraith's head and carefully took aim..._

 _ **Bang!**_

 **[Further...]**

* * *

 _Draco and Hermione stared at the closed gate, neither willing to break the silence that heavily permeated the atmosphere. What could they say in this case? They had barely managed to escape by the skin of their teeth and witnessed unspeakable things that were burned into their memories. There was nothing that either of them could say to console the other, given both the current situation and their past history._

 _"Malfoy..." Hermione tiredly pointed at the aforementioned wizard's feet. "You have something on your ankle there."_

 _She saw Draco look down and cringe in disgust at the separated arm that was still holding onto his leg. Even when he kicked the dismembered body part off, it was still showing signs of life by twitching around on the floor._

 _Letting out a small sigh of relief, Hermione leaned forward and rested upon the rails. It almost seemed surreal to her that she had went from a freezing experimental lab room to a warm, damp sewage facility. Even with this odd transition, she was glad to see some semblance of familiarity. Though it did come in the form of the long-winding tunnel that looked like the one she had previously passed._

 _At least they weren't being chased by a ravaging monster, and the smell of raw sewage was definitely an improvement over rotting carcasses._

 _"Hey Malfoy..." Hermione began to say when Draco raised his arm and shook his head._

 _"Just give me a second, I'm feeling some backlash after casting those spells just now."_

 _The bushy-haired witch tilted her head and crossed her arms before asking, "Backlash? Malfoy, you've never had those problems before in school. Just what do you mean by-"_

 _"I'm not going to bother answering that question, so don't push it."_

 _Hermione let out a sigh and took note of the tunnel that they were occupying. Even though it was quite spacious, there was not a lot of room to actually operate. The reason was quite simple: there was water everywhere. The spot she was standing on was part of a thin pathway that didn't have much for them to walk on. The guard-rail she was leaning on was barely separating her from a fast-moving current that was veering toward the opposite end of the hall. She could also see another interconnecting hallway from the other side of where she was standing, but, unless Draco wanted to carry her across the water again, she figured that it was out of the equation._

 _However, she doubted that either of them would bother exploring it since both of them had spotted the same exact thing – a manhole cover. But, there was a problem that neither of them could ignore, and that was the accessibility of it, or lack thereof._

 _Hermione snapped her finger and told the blonde, "The Levitation Charm! Malfoy, I'm going to jump as close to that ladder as possible. Then, while I'm still airborne, I'll cast the spell on myself, and in that short window, make sure to catch me."_

 _Before Draco could open his mouth to protest her idea, she immediately responded, "If you're going to tell me about the spell restrictions, then it's a little late for that, isn't it? We casted a lot of them back there at the Wraith, right? And if you were going to suggest another way, then do you want to carry me there? I promise I'm not as heavy as I look..."_

 _A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth when she heard her arch-nemesis mumble under his breath, "I can't believe that I'm actually agreeing to this plan. Well, let's get this over with so we can get out of here, Granger."_

 _Hermione watched Draco neatly wrap his robe around his waist before diving into the water. She tried to follow the blonde with her eyes, but with the dark passageway and murky waters, she found it to be quite difficult. Taking out her wand, she then quietly casted, "_ _ **Lumos."**_

 _Everything appeared to be going smoothly. Draco managed to reach the ladder going up to the sewage entrance, and they were both relatively safe. To top it off, they had managed to get through a crisis without being at each other's throats! This development was certainly a huge improvement from when they first began this trip._

 _"Alright Granger, it's your turn now. Hurry up and get over here."_

 _It was at that precise moment when everything went straight to hell._

 _The first time they heard it, both of them promptly ignored it, chalking it up to all the traumas they had faced._

 _However, this became an impossibility once they heard it the second time, then third, then fourth..._

 _The spine-chilling snarl of The Evolved._

 _"But...what...why now?" Hermione shook her head in disbelief and shut off the light from her wand. It didn't make any sense to her that these creatures would be responding to the casting of a simple spell now when they had been using much more powerful magic on the Wraith. She knew that she wouldn't be getting a resolution to this, but it hardly mattered when there were much more pressing problems._

 _Like getting out of the sewers before the Evolved had caught up to their location._

 _"Granger!" Draco called out, tightening his grip on the ladder. "We don't have any time left! Hurry up over here!"_

 _Hermione wanted a little more time to mentally prepare herself for the hurdle. She tried to correlate this jump to the previous one that she had done near the sewer's entrance. Her mind was readily agreeable to this concept, but her body was a different story. The bushy-haired witch felt like she had been hit by an_ _ **Immobilus,**_ _and_ _at the worst time possible._

 _"Granger! They're here!"_

 _Hermione spun her head around to see the pale, ghastly creatures emerge from the interconnecting tunnel. Some of them were seen being carried by the fast water current, wildly flailing their arms around while shrieking in obvious pain. But, there were also a few that were crawling on the walls, moving about in a slow and cautious manner._

 _She had no time._

 _Hermione felt her heart racing. This wasn't the time to panic. This was the last place she wanted to panic._

 _She quickly gathered magic into her wand while twirling it around in preparation for the spell. Taking a deep breath, she then began dashing towards the ladder while shouting, "_ _ **Wingardium Levi..."**_

 _Hermione constricted her breath before leaping at Draco and finished the rest of the spell,_ _ **"...osa!"**_

 _The entire thing had unfolded exactly the way that she had planned. Hermione found herself floating in mid-air and was just an arm's length away from where Draco was._

 _"I got you," Draco shouted, reaching over and grabbing hold of Hermione's hand. Never in her life had she felt more relief, and out of all people, the source was from her arch-nemesis._

 _Unfortunately, the ending was anything but happy._

 _While in the midst of the spell taking effect, one of the Evolved that were crawling on the wall had caught up to them. Like a moth drawn to a flame, the pale creature leaped straight at the individual that was making use of magic – Hermione. It went straight downhill from here with another monster leaping out from the water and taking hold of her ankle._

 _Hermione knew that this was where her story would be finished. She was currently losing her grip and the look on Draco's face told her everything she needed to know._

 _Why should he save her? Yes, they had an oath that bound them together, but the conditions were only favorable to her when the blonde had malicious intentions involving her livelihood. There was nothing that was preventing the Malfoy heir from escaping the sewers without her. Especially when the exit was right above his head and there was a swarm of Evolved coming for them._

 _Everything began to unravel in slow motion._

 _Hermione's hands had slipped out from Draco's, one finger at a time. She began to plunge straight into the water. Closing her eyes, she resigned herself to an ugly, cruel death, she only hoped that the sensation of drowning wouldn't last too long._

 _Right when she was immersed in the strong, flowing current, she felt something wrap around her body. Were the Evolved here to feast on her before she suffocated?_

 _"Oh, it's Malfoy..." were her final thoughts before giving way to unconsciousness._

 **Author's Note** _:_ I will be cleaning and updating the second chapter in the next coming week or so. Aside from that? Hopefully I'll be updating slightly more frequently.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Yes, none of these characters or anything are mine, except those horrible creatures that are littered throughout the story. They belong to my sick, twisted imagination. Anyways, aside from that, let me put in a little spoiler here for people that actually read stuff like this...uh...Hermione and Draco meet an unexpected pair inside of the manor but the reunion is shortlived. The end.

* * *

 **[This isn't...anything that I expected. At all. Nobody told me anything about this. Is this a lie? Is this all made up?]**

Dreams.

Mental escapades that encapsulate vivid images to create a story for the individual that is experiencing them. Some of them are able to instill raw emotions which are visibly felt by the dreamer. Other times they can either appear to be confusing or rational.

However, if there is one recurring theme to the subconscious driven phenomenon, then it would be how Draco was never able to remember a single one of his dreams. But the train ride? He remembered all of it. The only reassurance he had that the entire episode was a figment of his imagination was him physically waking up at the beach.

Draco let out a sigh and buried his head into his knees. It really had happened. When he had been presented with a choice, he had done the most un-Slytherin thing possible. At this point, he couldn't really say anything that would convince the witch that he had saved her with an ulterior motive in mind. He didn't think he could persuade himself either. His only saving grace was that the bloody Mudblood had enough sense not to bother him.

Slowly lifting up his head, Draco numbly listened to the whispers of the breeze while slowly breathing in the briny aroma. Taking off his boots, he scrunched his toes tightly, feeling the rough texture of the sand, which was still damp from the retreating tide.

The blonde fell down backwards onto the sand and stared up into the light sky. So much had happened in such a short period of time, and none of it had gone according to plan. They had definitely veered off course, and all sense of time was lost. How long had it been since he had accepted this mess of a mission? A few days? A week? Maybe even more?

It wouldn't surprise Draco at this point if the members of the Order had pronounced both of them to be dead. There were only two people that knew of his continued existence, one being Snape, which gave him absolutely no hope of being rescued from this unknown location.

And the Mudblood. Granger.

If someone had told him that he would be stranded in the middle of nowhere with the know-it-all witch, and not be throwing insults or hexes at her, he would've scoffed and sneered at them. But now?

Draco stretched his right arm into the sky and shakily faced his palm upwards. He slowly balled his fingers into a fist before bringing it down to his forehead. The blonde once again closed his eyes, his pale lips curved upwards, before finally breaking out into a quiet laughter.

 _"I'm alive..."_ Taking out his wand, he felt the familiar surge of magic tingling through his fingers. _"...and I've still got my magical core intact."_

This might not be much of a silver lining, but with the absurd number of obstacles that were thrown at them during this expedition, it was nothing short of a miracle that they were still functioning, and breathing.

Draco let out a small groan before lifting his upper body from the sand. He didn't need a spell to tell him just how much time he had wasted wallowing in such a pitiful state. The dream specter was right, he had chosen his path, now he was going to see it to the end.

Getting back up, Draco put his shoes on while rubbing the back of his neck. Placing his left hand onto his right shoulder, he twisted it in a circular motion and let out a big yawn. He took a brief moment to get a feel for his surroundings. What he saw was a nondescript beach with the usual pairings of sand and water stretching for miles on end. On the opposite side was a grassy path leading to a thick forest.

There couldn't be too many known beaches with surrounding forests near Hogsmeade, yet why was he unable to recognize this one? They couldn't be too far off from either the village or their target destination, since they had traversed through a connected sewage line.

Draco shook his head and pushed the thought to the back of his mind. This wasn't the right time to be pondering about his misplaced knowledge of the geography of magical Britain. They were still on a mission together, and he was going to both survive and finish it.

Wiping the remaining sand off of his clothes, Draco made his way over to Hermione and gave her a look over before rubbing the back of his neck. He opened his mouth before promptly closing it and proceeded to repeat the process a few more times before finally asking, "You alright there, Granger?"

Hermione blinked a few times and sighed before responding, "Could be better I suppose, but none the worse for wear."

Draco also let out a sigh before giving her a slight nod. "Alright...come on, let's see if we can find anything on this beach."

The pair started making purposeful strides around the sandy lot, hoping to discover something, anything, during their progress, or lack thereof. The first few paces were mind-numbingly monotonous, with the same sandy scene being replayed in a constant loop.

"Merlin! Whoever made this beach should've at least put something up that would make it easier on the eyes. I mean, not even a single tree or a manor! It's like some poor Mudblood randomly decided to put one up in the middle of nowhere."

"Malfoy, how did you come to the conclusion that this place was made by a Muggle-born?" Hermione asked, ignoring the obvious derogatory term that he had used.

Draco shrugged and answered, "Simple, any property that is owned by a proper pure-blood is usually filled with tasty luxuries, especially ones that are considered to be the latest in the mainstream market."

"Figures," the witch grumbled. "I suppose it's done to demonstrate a family's wealth and prestige, right? They're basically showing everyone the difference between them and the rest of the world."

Keeping up the steady pace, he replied back, "That's only partially true, Granger. It's also done to stimulate the economy. We make attractive commercialized landmarks, that brings in tourists, and in return it means we need people to work at those places."

The two continued to walk alongside the yellow grain road, wishing that it would lead them to greener pastures. But, much to both of their chagrin, Draco had been right in his complaint about the beach. The only thing that was breaking this repetitive was the occasional wave that swept across the shoreline, and the steep coasts from when they made a turn.

"Hey Malfoy?"

Hermione blinked and waited for a response. No answer. A brief moment of silence.

"While I was trying to resuscitate you, I noticed something peculiar about the...mark on your left arm."

Draco froze when he heard the open admittance of invading his privacy from the bushy-haired witch. Enraged by this, he turned around and pointed to her face. "Who the bloody hell gave you permission to go sticking your nose into other people's business?"

Hermione shook her head and pushed the blonde's hand aside, "First of all, I would appreciate it if you didn't stick your finger at me." Managing to keep her cool, she continued on with the conversation, "Secondly, it was hard for me to ignore it when it was in plain sight while I was trying to resuscitate you."

"You keep saying that you were resusi-ting me."

"Resuscitating,"

Draco glared at her before cutting right back in, "Whatever it is, what exactly do you mean by that?"

Hermione opened her mouth and was about to answer before staring wearily at the blonde wizard. She bit her lower lip while shifting her eyes around and finally replied, "According to standardized Muggle dictionaries, the definition of resuscitating is the act of bringing someone or something back to life, or waking them."

The Malfoy heir gave her a strange look and asked her, "What are you hiding?"

"It's nothing, so just drop it, alright?" Hermione scowled and walked right past Draco. However, she had only managed to take a few steps before the blonde roughly grabbed her arm.

"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you! Tell me before I-"

"The snake and skull on your Dark Mark aren't connected like the ones I've previously witnessed." Hermione said in a soft yet firm tone. "Is there a particular reason why it's different from the rest of your group, Malfoy?"

"Raaah!" Draco screamed in indignation, forgetting his intentions for the conversation. Tossing Hermione down to the sand, he brandished his wand and aimed it at her. Both of them merely looked at each other, neither of them willing or able to break the thickening tension that was accumulating between them.

"Aah, Aah, Help...me...help me?"

The two blinked at hearing the intrusion of this new voice. They weren't sure of what to make of what they had just heard. On one hand, they definitely heard someone cry out to them for assistance. But, the actual tone that was used to convey this message wasn't... _normal._

There wasn't a problem with the word selection or even the language, since they understood it without any difficulty. The trouble lied in the fact that this person, if it was one, sounded completely inhuman. The intonation that the individual used was that of someone who was unsure of their current predicament and was merely searching around for any listeners. There was also the issue with the voice carrying two cacophonous notes, rather than the usual one that the rest of the population held when they spoke.

"S-save...me...save me?"

This time, neither Draco nor Hermione were able to overlook this strange cry. With their argument all but forgotten, both of them turned towards the location of the one that wielded the dual-tonal voice.

The perpetrator?

"H-hey Malfoy..." Hermione said in a hesitant manner.

"Yes, Granger?" Draco answered back, not taking his eyes off the creature.

"Sea creatures are normally found in a body of water, hence the label, right?"

"Yes, Granger,"

Hermione blinked a few times before pointing to the entity and asked, "What is a selkie doing out here?"

Draco openly stared at what he assumed to be a selkie and wanted to say something, anything, to her so that he could assure the both of them that everything was fine, and that there was nothing that should worry them. But, the longer he stared at the aforementioned creature, the more he was convinced that there was something wrong with the world.

The selkie, or the thing that closely resembled one, retained most of its physical attributes aside from two major differences: its hands and face. Gone were the elongated fins that helped propel them around underwater, and instead there were humanoid fingers that were attached to the end of its arms. The fish-like mug that seamlessly blended in with the dirty corals was replaced with one that was eerily similar to that of an Evolved.

 _"Even the dazed stare, pupil-less eyes, and hideous veins all look the same as the pale monster's!"_

However, despite the display of such a grotesque twist in its appearance, that wasn't what had them rooted to their spot, but rather what the selkie was doing. They had stumbled upon it in the middle of its meal, with it happily grunting and munching away on a prey that the disfigured beast had caught. The being in question?

A Grindylow.

Neither of them were sure of how the ecosystem worked, but they had an inkling that what they were witnessing was an abnormal sight. The Grindylow was frantically trying to free itself from its eater's grasp, while the selkie was using its newly formed fingers to hold it still. The optics was made worse when they were able to see the being writhing in obvious pain.

"Help...me...?"

"Wait," Hermione muttered, eyes still glued to the disturbing scene. "It was the selkie that was the one saying those things?"

Events continued to get stranger when the Grindylow succeeded to escape by ripping itself from the trapped body part. The escaped being awkwardly slid across the rough grains of the beach, almost getting to the sea when the selkie shrieked and immediately dove after it. The disfigured sea mermaid managed to grab its prey once again before letting out a loud cackle.

With its recaptured prize firmly held in its grasp, the selkie rode the waves for a few seconds. However, jubilation quickly turned into panic, with the sea creature attempting to swim away from where it was situated.

"What in Merlin's name?"

Things became outright bizarre when a big tidal wave crashed down to the right of them and onto the shore, revealing dozens of similarly deformed selkies. All of the sea creatures began rolling around wailing while having a dull expression plastered on their humanistic face.

"Malfoy!" Hermione shouted, pointing to the lone selkie that was still in the ocean. The deformed mermaid had suddenly stopped swimming, it was simply floating around with seemingly no intentions of moving. It was at that moment that a big whirlpool started to form beneath the halted sea creature.

Draco could only stare in awe when a humongous, wild kelpie burst out from the swirling vortex and viciously grabbed the selkie in between its maw, before diving back down into the depths of the ocean. The situation further deteriorated into a chaotic mess when the group that had been washed ashore turned their attention to the two humans. Every single one of them stuck their tongue in a canine-like manner, before they all began to awkwardly waddle on their hind fins while pulling themselves forward with their arms.

Both travelers looked at each in horror and frantically made a run for it.

* * *

Hermione let out a tired sigh from the day's hectic event and stared at the entrance to the forest. She couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief from what had just transpired over the past hour or so. Yes, they had completed their primary objective in exploring the beach, but they were no closer to figuring out their location than from when they had first regained consciousness. If anything, investigating this area had done more harm than good for her probing mind.

When she and Draco had run away from the distorted sea creatures, they had moved forward, and in turn hastened their exploration. However, much to her dismay and puzzlement, they had somehow wound up back where they had started. Not wanting to accept this bizarre conclusion, she had almost demanded the blonde to go swimming in the ocean to verify this information, only to see if the discovery would sate her hypothesis.

The important keyword being almost.

Hermione had a niggling feeling on how the conversation would unfold and knew that it would end on a bad note. She also knew that there was no way that she would suggest it now, not with odd deformities lurking in the hidden depths of the ocean.

Still, this begged the question. Where were they?

She distinctly remembered that they had come from an underground laboratory within the Hogsmeade sewers. Regardless of how Hermione tried to put the pieces together, the two of them being on an island made absolutely no sense. If anything, shouldn't they have landed somewhere near the village?

That was the other thing that bothered her, why was such a huge and elaborate, Muggle designed room built underneath Hogsmeade? Better yet, why would any magic user even bother creating a place of research, when spells would regularly interfere with modern technology? It seemed to be really counterintuitive and a waste of resources and time for any sensible wizard to invest in such a place.

Then there was the issue with Draco. Yes, he had saved her, but there was no doubt in her mind that if it wasn't for the oath that he had taken, then he wouldn't have hesitated to leave her. Still, with that being said, the infuriating blonde could've easily retreated and saved himself. However, she could also make a claim that all of these current disasters could be traced back to him. It almost felt like she was slowly starting to lose control of the path that she was taking.

Maybe if she just let go...

 _"No,"_ Hermione grimly thought, banishing any hints of doubt from her mind. _"I just have to trust McGonagall and get to the meeting location."_ Taking a glimpse at the person next to her, she mentally sighed. _"Remember who it is, it's Malfoy we're talking about here, years of bigotry and prejudice won't just suddenly disappear."_

Having temporarily assuaged herself, Hermione looked ahead to the forest that they were about to enter. "Malfoy," she began to say while taking a few steps forward into the woods. However, she was held off from the questioning spiel that she had prepared after taking a look at the scenery.

The entrance to the umber-brown ancient forest appeared rich in both context and atmosphere. The wood incense reeked of age, one that stemmed from centuries of snapped branches crashing to the floor and decomposing naturally. Much of the composting, organic scent rose up in waves of pleasant fumes. It was with a light yet cautious heart that she stepped into the overarching vault of leaves and limbs.

 _"How beautiful,"_ Hermione thought to herself, not expecting the sort of visuals of the magnificent forest. Every big, sprawling tree that she passed reminded her of a watchful guardian, a silent sentinel of the grove. The sun's light had yet to pierce the lush, green swards, thus much of the area appeared to have overhanging hoods of black shadows. Coils of vaporous mist was enwrapped around the thick timber trunks, writhing around them like the wisps of an incorporeal _**Patronus**_ charm.

Hermione couldn't believe that such a wonderful example of nature could exist in such a dreadful time of war. Huge roots spread across the ground, with arthritic boughs, that were gnarled with age, shedding their leaves down onto the floor. The foliage itself started to become thick and lavish, forming a cover to hide them from the eyes of the outside world.

"Bloody hell," she heard Draco mutter, not bothering to hide the awe-inspired fascination in his voice. "I didn't know such a place existed anywhere near Hogsmeade."

"Malfoy, how do you know that we're even near..."

Before Hermione could finish the sentence that she had started, she heard shuffling sounds coming from deep within the interior. The noise was deadened by some cleverly woven piles of leaves that were strewn about around the two. When the pair trudged along a bit more, they spotted some creatures that were a curious sight to both of them. Each of them for wholly different reasons.

"What in Merlin's name is that?"

"Oh! What are those animals doing here?"

Draco blinked a few times before asking, "So you know what those things are? Are they dangerous? Will they pose a threat to us?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and shook her head. "Those were deer, rabbits, monkeys-"

"Hold on," Draco said, interrupting her in the midst of her explanation. "Why are creatures like this near Hogsmeade in the first place?"

"Why are you looking at me like I know?" Hermione asked, shrugging in response. "If anything, shouldn't I be the one asking you, since I'm the one that's still ignorant of this world, remember?"

"For Salazar's sake!" Draco kicked a patch of dirt before slamming his foot onto a nearby tree. "Would you stop being so bloody impossible and just cooperate with me for once?"

The Muggle-born witch stomped her foot and responded, "What do you think I've been doing this entire time?"

The blonde turned to her and spoke, "Aside from parts where our lives were on the line? You've still been fighting me every single step of the way!"

"Oh really?" Hermione stated in a dangerously low tone. "Do you honestly think I've been uncooperative for this whole thing?" Letting out a sardonic chuckle, she added, "If we're going to be playing the blame game, then I'll take my turn on pinning something on you. Now, what should I start with?"

Before the argument could turn for the worse, an area with a wide glade, where the trees fell away, revealed the clear, crisp, evening sky. Any and all thoughts of their recent argument were all but squelched when they saw the beginnings of the night's stars glimmering with _lumos_ -like clarity, luminous and bright. A moon silently hung in the distance, casting a shimmering sheen over the woods, spotlighting the area that the two had been occupying.

It was at that moment when a majestic looking avian erupted from the knot of the bushes. The solitary bird was soon joined by the remaining members of its flock, and amazingly began to trill out a harmonious symphony. The heart-stirring melody that was orchestrated by these animals was a much-needed elixir that managed to soothe the pair's aching spirits.

Hermione crossed her arms and took a deep breath. This wasn't the right time to be arguing, was it? She didn't know what had come over her, but for some reason, she had allowed herself to get drawn into another petty fight with Draco. She took a step back and put things into perspective. They had just escaped a life or death situation and were able to find some type of haven within the forest. Compared to what they had just experienced, everything else seemed to pale in comparison.

"Malfoy, about what I said before..."

This time it was Draco's turn to shake his head while he proceeded to rub the side of his temple. Closing his eyes, he sighed before telling her in a dejected tone, "Look Granger, both of us were in that sort of mood, right? Let's just leave it at that, shall we?"

Hermione found herself slightly stunned from the unnatural response that came from the blonde. Even if she was a bit disoriented by the unexpected quasi-apology, she was grateful that Draco had pushed them past the awkward situation. The relief was short lived when she spotted some strange marks on the side of a stump.

"Oy Granger," the blonde Slytherin called out, "let's get a move on, I want to get out of this ruddy forest."

"Wait," the bushy-haired witch called out, crouching down. She reached out with her fingers and touched the scarred tree bark. For some reason, her thoughts weren't on the strange markings, but rather the implications of seeing such recognizable animals roaming in magical Britain. All this brought her back to her original musings: How was the Statute of Secrecy being broken in such a big, yet inconspicuous manner? Did this mean the Evolved and parts of magical Britain were being exposed to the Muggle world?

Her thoughts were interrupted before she could ponder on this subject further.

"Well? What is it? Did you find anything there?"

Hermione bit her lower lip and shifted her eyes back to the torn trunk. She stared at the scratch for a few seconds, trying to see if she could dispense something to Draco. There was no way she was going to voice her concerns to the blonde.

"Malfoy," Hermione began to say while jogging her brain for any relevant information that she could use for this situation. Blinking a few times, she tilted her head and looked at the marks a bit more carefully. It was fair to state that she had been removed from the Muggle world for quite some time, but she didn't think there were any animals that were capable of leaving such a heavy imprint. In fact, she was willing to wager that these were made from the very same fearsome creatures that they had barely managed to evade.

"I think the Evolved are in the forest too," she finally stated before turning her head back to Draco.

She heard a hitch in his breathing and his voice drop in volume, "You sure Granger?"

Hermione nodded back to confirm her suspicions before getting up on her feet.

The two wasted no time getting back on track, determined to leave the forest as soon as they could. This time they were able to take notice of the more ominous signs around their environment. They found dried splatters of blood along with traces of feathers and furs scattered about in a messy fashion. In fact, the deeper they advanced, the more unsettling everything seemed to become around them.

There were light screens of mist that were caressing the moss-encrusted tree barks with which was silently released every time the pair passed by one of them. The mist seemed to seamlessly glide around, looking for empty space, deadening the sound and haunting the glades that it passed by during its search. A bleak silence hung overhead of the hallowed grounds that the pair found themselves trespassing. The area appeared to be void of any life, the presence of death comfortably tending to its private property.

Nothing dared to grow here.

Nothing was stirring.  
Nothing was shining.  
Nothing was singing.

It was all nothing, an empty echoing, like the hushed tones of a dreadful, haunted graveyard.

Hermione found herself shuddering at the creepy atmosphere. She couldn't help but feel out of sorts from the sudden shift in the environment. For the majority of her stay in magical Britain, the setting had been rather consistent. If there ever was a change, then she would at least be prepared for it in advance.

 _"Well, there were the few exceptions, but I had Harry, Ron, and the Headmaster in the vicinity so it wasn't much of a problem,"_ Hermione mused to herself, lost in her own thoughts. _"I wonder where Ron and Harry are now? Given the alternative course that they had to take, I would say that-"_

Stumbling on her feet, Hermione awkwardly landed, face first, onto a sodden patch of dirt. Letting out a small groan, she rubbed the right side of her face while lifting herself off the ground.

"Oy, Granger," she heard Draco say in a leveled tone, "pay attention to where you're walking, will you? We can't afford to stop here, not with those things looming around the corner. Pick yourself up and watch your step."

Hermione let out a huff before scrambling back up to her feet. Quickly brushing herself off, she took a quick glance at the object that had tripped her. It was a dead body. Her first reaction upon spotting the corpse was to do an immediate investigation upon it, to give her clues and information that would be helpful to her endeavor. She wasn't Madam Pomfrey, and she certainly couldn't claim herself to be an expert on the human anatomy. But she did manage to deduce something about the corpse – one that reminded her of the grim nature of humans.

 _"It's unbelievable how selfish people can be. Even with the prospect of having these abominations running around, they still insist on waging this mindless war! I don't know..."_

"Granger!" She heard him call out once again, his voice laced with a mixture of desperation and fear. "We have to leave now! There are dead bodies here and-"

* * *

Draco numbly looked down at the corpse and blinked a few times. He didn't know what was worse, the fact that he had almost expected to find a dead body in the forest, or that he had become desensitized by the sight of one. Either way, it didn't change the fact this was slowly becoming the norm for him, rather than the exception. Still, this wasn't the time to be mulling over this, he had to go and warn Hermione.

Turning around, he began running towards the bushy-haired witch when he found himself tripping and losing his balance. However, Draco had managed to recover enough to falter with a modicum of grace, allowing him to squarely plant his knee in the soft dirt. Muttering a few choice words under his breath, the blonde shook his head and slowly got back on his feet.

He didn't know what it was that could've caused him to tether around like a drunken Gryffindor, but it didn't concern him a single bit. There were much more important matters to attend to, like escaping from the forest before they became part of the dead body count.

Spotting her, Draco called out, "Granger! "We have to leave now! There are dead bodies here and-"

He didn't understand why his body had stopped moving. One moment he was trying to reach Hermione, the next, one of his knees had buckled and consequently, dropped down on the ground with no knowledge of him wanting to do so. Did someone recently use the _Imperius_ on him, and he was now just shaking off the effects of being under the control of the spell? No, he immediately ruled it out since there were too many factors that argued against this being a possibility.

Draco looked over his body and noticed an arrow piercing the side of his leg. He found it really strange that, despite something this sharp digging into his flesh, his pain receptors had not informed him of this harmful intruder. In fact, if it wasn't for him visually perceiving the wooden projectile, he knew that he would've been ignorant of the injury.

 _"Bloody hell, even though it doesn't hurt, I still can't move,"_ the Malfoy heir grimly thought to himself. He tried to make his legs budge a few more times, but every attempt brought upon the same failing result.

"Malfoy?" Draco lifted his head up to see Hermione approaching him. "What are you doing over there? Did you find something of importance?"

"D-don't you dare come near me, Mudblood!" He shouted out, purposely trying to get her enraged. There was no possible way he could relay the warning in time, not without her triggering a trap herself. He knew that where there was a trap, then an accompanying person would be nearby to hear it being activated. The best thing he could do was hope to get her to become indignant at the insults he was hurling at her, ensuring that she wouldn't come near him for the next few minutes.

"What is wrong with me? Here I was, Merlin forbid, actually worrying about you but it turns out that I shouldn't have even bothered, huh?"

"Granger..." Draco said in a low voice, starting to feel his body stiffen.

Turning her head away from him, Hermione continued in an icy tone, "I'm going to do what I should've done back at Hogsmeade."

"Damnit Granger," the blonde wizard gritted his teeth and added, "Just shut your mouth for a second, will you?"

This brought upon the desired effect, with both Hermione and Draco quietly staring at each other. The silence was quickly broken when they heard another person's voice shouting from the distance.

"It's over here! The trap was triggered in zone five-three!"

"You think we catch anything there, yeah?"

Draco saw Hermione's eyes widen. He could only imagine what was going through her mind right now. If they hadn't been in such dire straits, then he would've stared at her with a victorious smirk while giving her the usual condescending look. However, this was not the appropriate time to be indulging in petty schoolyard behavior.

"Don't worry too much about it, the paralysis poison should do most of the job for us."

"Stick to how we normally hunt these things, yeah?"

By now, Hermione had reached Draco and began pulling on him, urging him to start moving so that they could get to safety.

"If it's a wild animal, then the two of us should be enough to finish it off and put it out of its misery."

"What if it's a human, yeah?"

Draco tried his best to swat Hermione away, attempting to make her go without him.

"Then I hope they haven't given up yet, I love the wild chases that human opponents tend to give to us."

"Especially those poofs called wizards, yeah?"

When Draco heard the last bit from the two speakers, he felt his blood boil. What was this, a group of disgruntled Mudbloods that wanted to take revenge on their superiors? His fingers twitched and shifted towards his robe, ready to take out his wand.

"I always love the part when they become desperate and try magic of some sort and end up becoming food for those hideous buggers instead."

"Those creatures really are ugly, yeah?"

Even though he had wanted to retaliate against the disrespectful pieces of garbage and demonstrate the painful consequences of running their mouths in such an abhorrently ignorant manner, Draco wisely decided against it.

"It looks like this one somehow ran away. Want me to call back-up, yeah?"

"Ssh ssh, quiet, I hear something."

The sound of Hermione dragging Draco away from the trap did not escape the attention of the speakers.

"Wait, hold on...I don't see the arrow anywhere, and the hilt of the grass looks disheveled. I can also see hints of footprints going in the opposite direction. From what I can tell, there's at least two people here we can hunt...what do you say that we do a little more investigation and not tell them about our prey, just yet?"

Both Draco and Hermione were out of breath at this point. Hermione, due to her helping to carry the blonde, and Draco, from forcibly pushing his body when it hadn't recovered from its bout of paralysis.

"Granger," the exhausted wizard grunted while pushing her away from him. "Give me something to bite on."

"What?"

"I'm starting to feel...it doesn't matter, I need something to bite on. I'm gonna take this arrow out of me."

Hermione stared at Draco for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. She quickly crouched down to pick up a large tree branch and returned to the blonde.

"Listen, Granger," Draco began huffing in between erratic breaths, "I need you...told hold me down...as hard...as you can, alright?"

The Malfoy heir saw Hermione stare at him once again, with a somewhat somber and forlorn expression before nodding her head. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and leaned back against a giant tree. The bark felt rough against his skin. He paused for a split second before grabbing the end of the wooden projectile that was digging into his leg.

"Hrghk." Draco bit down hard on the stick and began pulling on the arrow. It was a particularly odd, yet painful sensation. On one hand, the poison had done its job of paralyzing most of the affected leg, leaving the actual penetrated area to retain the ability of having its sensory receptors send a message via the nerve fibers whenever it felt pain.

In other words?

"Huuuu..." It was taking all of his willpower not to give up. In terms of pain, this wasn't the worst one that he had ever experienced. Not by a long shot. Still, the burning sensation that he felt whenever he tugged on the arrow had become quite unbearable. To top it all off, the process of taking out the projectile was taking a very long time.

"Agh!" Draco's scream was deftly dulled by the dirty branch that was wedged in between his teeth. He had finally managed to take the arrow out from his leg, but not without some trepidation. A sickening squelching sound was accompanied by chunks of his flesh ripped out from his leg. It wasn't pretty, but it certainly got the job done.

 **[Ugh...]**

The two stared at each other for a moment, aware of the close proximity, but neither had it in mind to raise this point. Instead, Hermione gave out a small sigh before releasing her grip on Draco's shoulder. Parting her sweat-laden hair to the side, a light huff came out from her lips before asking, "Malfoy...are you alright? Um...Malfoy?"

Draco opened his mouth to reassure the worrying witch that everything was alright and that they should hurry and leave. However, rather than words, a vile mixture of blood and vomit was expelled from his body. Weakly chuckling, he leaned against the tree to help hold his weight while also stroking his wand. The movement was an unconscious habit that he had developed over the years, one that used to bring him comfort, no matter the circumstance.

Now? It was a bitter reminder of what he took for granted and what he was not allowed to use. An ability that would've solved most of his problems, all waiting to be unleashed at the tip of his fingers.

"Let's go, Granger," Draco managed to wheeze out in between his coughing fits.

* * *

"Hold on," the bushy-haired witch said, taking out the small box that McGonagall had given to her from Hogwarts. Taking out a small vial, she tossed it to Draco and informed him, "It's an antidote for the poison. It'll take some time for the effects to settle in, but it should help cleanse your body."

Hermione closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose but otherwise kept her lips closed. Once again, she had been tempted to say something more to the blonde, but knew that her words would fall on deaf ears. Instead, she allowed Draco to hold on to something as vain as his pride and waited for him to pick himself up before running from the spot.

"Hey, look, there's some blood over here, and the arrow seems to be discarded here as well."

Why hadn't they caught up yet? Or did the process of removing the aforementioned projectile take longer than what was expected? No matter the case, the pair were doing their best blindly scrambling around, trying their best to navigate through the dark, treacherous forest. After what seemed like an endless loop of tree branches, vines, and plants, Hermione suddenly felt herself getting pushed to the side.

"Malfoy," she hissed in an annoyed tone, "what are you doing?!"

Rather than responding, Draco put a finger across his lips while shaking his head.

"Huh? That's weird, I thought they would've come through here, that was the pattern they were running, yeah?"

Much to Hermione's incredulity, the two hunters had been waiting for them to appear at the next turn. They had been calmly talking about the route they were taking and the moment that they were supposed to 'arrive' in front of them. If it hadn't been for Draco's action of halting their progress, then it was more than likely that they would've been captured, or worse.

"They probably twisted around to the other side. If we head directly to sector D, then we should be able to cut them off from the route."

The duo waited with bated breath until the coast became clear. Speaking of Draco's action...

"How did you know?" Hermione whispered to him in between her ragged breath. The air seemed condensed and restrictive, the feeling mirroring that of someone trying to cut off her air supply.

"I don't recognize the tacky garments that they are wearing. Who or what are they?" Draco sighed and shook his head before sitting on a wet patch of moss. He had ignored her question and posed one of his own.

The bushy-haired witch bit her lower lip before answering, "I-I think those were..." The hunters had donned on clothing that could only be found in the Muggle world. They were wearing what she could only describe as bulky, dark green army jackets and thick, black pants, with black gas masks over their faces.

She hesitated to tell him her thoughts, knowing how violently he would react to her hypothesis. There was absolutely no indication that he had gone past his engraved bigotry. Heck, they were only traveling together because of the contract and oaths. Still, it would certainly be beneficial for their plight if Draco was to at least be aware of a few things.

"I'm not one-hundred percent sure of who they are, but I remember reading descriptions of people like this. How some were using this war for their own purposes."

"So, these people are going around killing others just for fun? How absurd."

Hermione merely sighed and kept her opinions to herself. She had somehow managed to answer the question in a round-about way while keeping his suspicions low. There was too much at stake for them to get into one of their usual petty bickerings. Standing back up, she began brushing herself off when she heard him whisper to her, "Keep low, don't run, and try to avoid making too much noise. I'm not entirely sure how, but they've somehow been able to track us through the sound that we're making and something else. If we minimize the noise, then we can at least make it more difficult for them to find us."

Nodding back to him for confirmation, Hermione lowered her body into that of a crouching position and quietly followed the blonde. The two made sure to follow an irregular pattern in their steps while trying to leave as little trace of their previous step as possible. While she was initially able to mentally map out the route that they were taking, eventually, the shrubbery all started to seamlessly blend in together, making her become confused.

The two had met quite a few close calls, with the hunters literally being a step or two away from discovering where they were hiding. It was a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, with the consequence of being caught the forfeiture of their lives. After weaving through another portion of the long-winding, never-ending forest, Draco held up his hand to signal them to a halt.

"I think we should call for back-up by now, since we lost track of them, yeah?"

"You kidding me? They're gonna have our heads when they find out that we've been fooling around with the trespassers. All we have to do is find them before they get to the manor up ahead, and once we do, everything's gonna be alright."

Hermione's ears perked up once she heard them mention an area that wasn't the Merlin forsaken forest.

"Well, no need to worry about it, I don't think we've allowed anyone to go that far."

"But what about the three that got away from us and made it into the manor, yeah?"

Hope began to fill her chest when she heard references to other survivors. For the duration of this journey, the only people she had met thus far were enemies, with the only familiar face being that of the blonde wizard. The thought of meeting someone whom she recognized and was possibly friendly with helped inject some life back into her.

"Well, that was probably just some freak accident or something, right? I mean I think all of us tried, but we can't even get past the gate, right? So even if they do, they'll probably just get stuck like us and just give up or something. So just shaddap and help me find them."

"Who died and made you king? I didn't vote for you, yeah?"

Hermione and Draco stared at each other before nodding at the silent, unanimous agreement that came between them. Words were not needed to communicate what their next objective would be – to reach the manor. They patiently stayed inside the thick bushes, waiting for the coast to become clear so that they could move once again.

"Shit, we got a problem, yeah?"

"What is it?"

It was at that moment that the two hunters frantically ran from the premise, not bothering to pick up their discarded weapon. The pair looked at each other in wonder and gave a nonchalant shrug before coming out from the thick bushel. Curiosity quickly took over the two but each for entirely different reasons. Draco got his hands on one of the pistols that had fallen to the ground, while Hermione was trying to solve the reason for the chaser's sudden departure.

"Granger, have you ever seen anything this queer before? It looks like one of those firearms, but much lighter...Granger?"

Hermione immediately grabbed hold of the blonde and uttered the one word that she knew would get her message across to him.

"Evolved."

* * *

Draco's expression instantly shifted to a more somber one and turned his attention to his surroundings. The trees behind them began to shake with vigor, which was accompanied by a familiar high-pitched, inhuman snarl.

"Granger," the Malfoy heir said, looking straight at Hermione.

"Right," she responded with a nod and went around to secure a route for them. However, the idea was quickly erased when they heard a mishmash of voices and footsteps approaching them from the distance.

The abominable creatures were laying await in an ambush from one side, while a group of hunters was coming from another. There was the option to retreat back to the spot where they were hiding, but with what seemed like an inevitable bloodbath, it was prudent for them to get away from their current location.

Still, the question remained: Would they be able to get away in time unscathed? They had been lucky thus far to avoid any major or fatal injuries. But would they be able to continue skating on such thin ice? It would only be a matter of time before misfortune fell upon them in their misguided journey.

"They're somewhere in this sector! Contain and eradicate them before they get a chance to infect anyone!"

Luck seemed to have struck twice, with the hunters dispersing, clearing a path for Draco and Hermione to take. The pair took this well-timed distraction to sidestep both the hunters and the monsters. Once again, they found themselves running through a myriad of vines and branches that seemed sentient enough to impede their progress. It didn't help that cacophonous sounds of loud gunfire, blood-curled screams, and muffled cries could be heard off at the distance behind them.

Draco heard the Mudblood start to mumble some incoherent mess under her breath, presumably to keep herself sane under these frightful conditions. Either that or cursing all those that were involved in getting her mixed in this chaos. He was also starting to feel a sense of drowsiness and a fever overtake his body. It was quite tempting to just drop everything and take a nap on the soft floor of the forest.

However, once they came upon a clearing, none of the issues seemed to matter anymore. Somehow, the direction they had chosen turned out to be the one that led to the place they were looking for – the manor.

Both Hermione and Draco took in a deep breath, reaping in the sight of the huge building. It seemed to be deeply embedded within the shadows, with empty darkness echoing and folding inside itself, completely absorbing any incoming sunlight. Most of the surrounding trees were lifeless, with long and spindly branches floating in the air, mimicking the movement to that of a ghost. Brown, dead leaves littered the ground and danced macabrely, many of them smelling like rotten fungus and decomposed corpses. The manor itself gave off a ghastly impression to the pair, with much of the exterior in shambles and exhausted of any decorum.

A huge steel gate surrounded the parameters of the old mansion, effectively cutting the building off from the rest of the forest.

Draco shakily let out a sigh and stared at the impressive landscape for a few more seconds before shaking his head. The gate was too high for him to climb by himself, and even if he could make it up, he didn't think he had enough strength to properly propel himself around to the other side. Then there was also the factor of the girl that he was towing.

"Ugh," the blonde groused, shaking the front door of the gate. "It's jammed from the other side, huh?"

"I've got an idea Malfoy," Hermione chimed in. "Why don't you boost me up there?"

Draco crossed his arm and thought about rejecting the proposal when he chewed on the idea for a few more seconds.

"I mean, I can try to push you up there, but it looks like you're still suffering from the effects of the poison and..."

Their discussion was curtly interrupted when they heard shouts coming toward their direction.

"Malfoy! Come on!"

Draco trailed his palm over his face and gritted his teeth before crouching down and lowering his arms. He waited for Hermione to place her foot upon his hands before lifting her up to the top of the gate. The blonde began to have second thoughts about the decision when he saw her struggle to get herself over to the other side.

"Hurry up, Granger! They're coming!"

Hermione hurriedly dropped to the ground and scrambled to her feet. For a split second, Draco feared that she would leave him behind and get inside the mansion by herself. However, this silent fear quickly vanished when he saw her work on getting the door open.

Never had he been glad that she was anything other than a Slytherin than at that particular moment.

Seeing the gate open, Draco took a deep breath and stepped through the gate when he felt a peculiar, yet familiar sensation wash over him. One of the first things he noticed was how stagnant the air felt around him. The second thing was the noise, or lack thereof – weren't there some hunters that were about to find them? What about the animals in the forest?

Blinking a few times, he slowly turned around to see...a large brown wall rather than the steel door that he had initially passed through.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but promptly closed it. What could he say? What could he ask? At this point, with everything that had happened, he knew that the only thing that either of them could do was to simply move on with the journey.

Looking at Hermione, he could see that she had the same mix of curiosity and resignation dawning over her.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** If you ask questions or comments while you review, I'll try my best to answer them and in terms of updating, since this has a somewhat 'meh' viewership, it's not too high on my priority list. Although I also make sure to try and make it more quality over quantity in terms of these chapters. Also, go look at the school chapter again, it has been refurbished with more polish and shine to it. The Hogsmeade chapter should be my last re-release before everything reads a bit more better than how I first started writing this story. Anyways, later!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Read the previous chapter or two, especially the first one. New content has been added to the overall feel of the entire opening. These are slow updates since the interest isn't as high for this story, plus I rather work on getting these chapters in top condition so that each of them breathes life into the tale, rather than make it feel like a filler.

Anyways, enjoy the newest addition everyone, and a bit appreciated if you guys gave any kind of feedback. Well, whatever, I'm writing this for fun anyways. Now, onto the story!

 **Story Notes:**

"You're so incorrigible!" = Dialogue

 _Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes at her incorrigible partner. =_ Flashback

 _"Why does he have to be so incorrigible?"_ = inner thoughts

 _ **Text**_ = Onomatopoeia

 **Disclaimer:** Don't own Harry Potter and any associated characters/world and stuff. I'm just borrowing some of the material to help tell a tale

* * *

 **Closer Look:** Hermione

I felt like something was off. Disconnected from my perception. A disturbing feeling of discombobulation enveloped me. But the strange sensation was just a fleeting moment. It had disappeared by the time I hopped over the fence.

Looking down at the prone figure of Malfoy, I want to tell him about the chaotic few minutes that had transpired when I went to open the gate for him. But every time I try to say something to him, it's apparent to me that his attention is latched somewhere else. He's also clearly exhausted from his body going through the detoxifying process.

There is a reason why Healer Pomfrey makes us lie in bed while we take our potions. But do any of them ever listen? Nope! They're always whinging about the 'horrid' conditions of staying in the hospital wing and planning on elaborate schemes on trying to escape from the place!

Speaking of the pair, I wonder how Ron and Harry are doing? Have they been able to figure out more clues to the identity and whereabouts of the Horcrux? No, forget that, are they even safe in the first place? I'm worried if they were able to properly adapt to any change in the plan that they had!

I mean, look at my mission! All I had to do was go through Hogsmeade and be at the meeting point with Malfoy. But we had to improvise along the way and ended up on an island that doesn't even appear to be on the map! That is, if I'm to believe that's what Malfoy is trying to say. I mean, he could be wrong, since there's no possible way for him to know about every island that exists in magical Britain, right?

Still, even if things go awry for them, at the very least they have each other. Me? I'm stuck with...

Well, it looks like he still needs some time to recover, let me try to make sense of what happened. Well, from what I remember, I was able to climb to the top of the fence, thanks in part to Malfoy's assistance. Of course, I knew what my first priority was: to get the gate opened for him. So, with no real time to spare, I jumped and...

 _Hermione let out a cry after landing on the hard, rough gravel. She had been taken by complete surprise by this complete change in scenery. The two of them had just passed through a forest, and her caked hair and skin were proof of this. Yet, for some reason, as soon as she entered this part of the area, the ground had somehow...changed?_

This island was strange _through and through. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to anything that was happening at the moment._

 _However, this was neither the place, nor the time, to be sitting down and pondering these events. She had to open the door so that her traveling partner could safely get away from their pursuers._

When I recovered from the horrific landing, I didn't bother taking a look around the place. I should've at least used a few seconds to observe my surroundings, but no point in wondering about that now...besides, I had pressing matters at hand.

 _Once she got her bearings straight, she turned around and headed straight for the gate. At least that was the initial plan, but, what she saw instead of the expected gated borders were thick, grey walls. Hermione blinked a few times and shakily reached out with her right arm. If this was anything like the place preceding Hogsmeade, then all she had to do was place her hand on the outer shell. This would in turn cause parts of it to become 'inconsistent' with the rest, since she was destabilizing the pre-existing wards and runes with the addition of something that was unknown._

 _However, as soon as she touched the barrier, all she felt was the cold, hard surface. It was definitely a real, physical manifestation of a wall. This posed a couple of problems for her: how was she supposed to find the gate? Then, in case that she did find it, how was she supposed to open it?_

 _None of this made any sense to her._

I distinctly remember panicking at this point and doing anything I could toward finding any sort of clues to solving this near impossible mystery.

What was I thinking about here? What exactly did I do? Hold on...I can't say for sure what happened, but I believe it was when I started...started...

 _Hermione tightly curled her hand and pounded the thick, grey wall in anger. However, she stopped herself from wasting any more time, since it wasn't the appropriate moment to be venting her frustration onto an inanimate object. Draco was still on the other side of this bizarre wall, and he was urgently in need of assistance. Shaking her head, she decided to run alongside the wall, figuring that there had to be an opening somewhere. The gate couldn't have been a figment of her imagination, not when she had been pushed over for the purpose of getting the blonde too._

 _Pushing her bangs to the side, Hermione began traveling alongside the nondescript wall. It had only been a few yards from her initial position, but she felt a sense of discomfort suddenly seize her. The way this emotion barged into her, it reminded her of the moment when she had crossed over from the forest._

 _"It couldn't be..." the brunette mumbled to herself while moving toward the wall._

I still don't understand what happened there. Right when I went over to it, the gate just suddenly appeared. Now that I've got some time to ponder this, I have to wonder: what kind of spell allows for such alterations to happen? There weren't any wards or runes around, so that couldn't be the issue. I've already run through numerous theories, and I still haven't come up with a single solution to this. It's like...none of this is real? But at the same time...it is?

What?  
 **[What?]**

 _Hermione shook her head free from the absurd nature of the entire situation and focused on the task. She took a look at the big and heavy gate and bit her lower lip. Could she even muster the strength to open such a monstrosity?_

 _"Well, might as well give it a try," she muttered to herself. The iron bars felt ice cold against the naked skin of her hands, almost like someone had cast **Glacius** directly in her area. Gritting her teeth, she ignored the numbness that was spreading through her fingers and began pushing against the heavy gates. A harsh, white mist formed with every desperate attempt that Hermione tried in getting it opened._

 _The gate would simply not budge._

 _However, it seemed like her efforts were not in vain since she was rewarded with the sight of the iron bars seemingly opening by themselves. While Hermione stood by, completely baffled by what had transpired, Draco took the opportunity to rush through the entrance and join her on the other side._

 **[I still don't understand what happened]**

* * *

"Hey! Where did those two go?"

Draco hurriedly scrambled to his feet and pressed himself against the wall. He had no idea what had just occurred when he passed through the gate, but with his pursuers still hot on his heels, this wasn't the time for him to be resting.

"They were just here a minute ago, I know they were! Then, they just disappeared behind this gate...almost like they were ghosts or something."

"A ghost? I don't think a ghost can trigger traps and leave physical evidence behind like this."

Draco blinked a few times and held his breath. He had no idea what any of them were arguing about. All they had to do was step through the open gate like he had done, and the two of them would be discovered. He wanted to move, but the antidote was still in the process of detoxifying his body. It would take some time before he was able to regain some functionality over his motor sensor.

He held his breath.

"There's just something weird about that gate, don't you think? We can clearly see a manor from here, yet we've never been able to investigate it."

"Don't get too hung up on it, yeah? Don't forget, we already tried looking for a way in, but all we managed to get were casualties."

The blonde froze when he heard the casual admittance from the hunters. There was something inherently wrong with what they had just said. The gate was clearly open when he stepped through it, and yet, from what he was able to ascertain from the conversation...

"Alright! Gather the injured, regroup, and then head back to camp! We can figure out a way to get back to our homes another day. We need to leave before any more of those freakish monsters come out again."

Releasing the breath that he had been holding, Draco rubbed the back of his head. Somehow, the two of them had managed to avoid the worst-case scenario of having to run for their lives again. In his current condition, he didn't think he could've managed to last five minutes.

"Fuck me," Draco muttered under his breath, before sliding down onto the ground. Heaving a heavy sigh, he leaned his head back against the wall and rummaged through his robes. "Waste not, want not indeed..." he chuckled to himself before fishing out the cigarette he had saved from Hogsmeade. The blonde tossed it to his left hand and immediately began to twirl it between his index and middle finger. He then flicked it into his mouth and snapped his right hand while extending his thumb and index finger before turning it toward the white stick. Nothing appeared to happen.

A frown graced his face.

A small giggle came from the opposite direction.

"I didn't realize you smoked, Malfoy," Hermione finally quipped.

"And I didn't realize that you still knew how to use your eyes, Granger," Draco shot back, not bothering to take his attention away from his finger.

Hermione rolled her eyes before asking, "I'm sort of curious as to why you're still holding your arm in that manner. I mean, you do realize that you'll need some sort of fire-operating equipment to light the cigarette, right?"

Letting out a sigh, Draco replied back, "Back when I was traveling with a small group, I saw a bloke do this little trick. It didn't look too hard so I gave it a try, but I guess I missed something." Shrugging, he flicked the cigarette out of his mouth before crushing it with the sole of his boot. It was a shame that he let it go to waste. After coughing into the sleeve of his robe, the blonde scratched the back of his head while letting out a yawn. Getting back up, he lubricated his lips and opened his mouth to let out a condescending and scathing remark to the Mudblood.

"Where in Merlin's name are we...?"

Hermione shook her head at the question and simply stared at the scenery before them. The pair had definitely traversed through a forest all while evading capture and barely surviving by the skin of their teeth. Yet, once they began to survey their new surroundings, all traces of the previous setting were nowhere to be found.

No evidence of the thick surrounding foliage.  
No evidence of their previous encounter.  
No evidence of other living beings.

The entire space, apart from an abandoned manor, stretched over to reveal an empty plain. It was a desert-like area with gravel, sand, and a tree. More specifically, it was a lonesome oak tree standing beside the manor, tentatively being swayed by a gentle breeze. It wasn't noticeable before, but the moon was shining ever so brilliantly above them, with not a single cloud in sight. The pair counted themselves lucky on catching this break, since there didn't seem to be another light source within miles of this encapsulated area.

They were also able to see the condition of the mansion, which could only be described as being a complete wreck. Multitudes of black, withered vines had firmly attached themselves to the decrepit brick foundation, while the windows were either broken or covered in sludge and grime.

There really was nothing to see.

"Hey Malfoy..."

"The antidote's finished cleaning out my body," Draco curtly said while rotating his neck and shaking his wrist. "I don't want to waste any more time here, let's get moving Granger."

The bushy-haired girl bit her lower lip and glanced over at the mysterious gate before letting her eyes travel back to the blonde. Lightly blowing a dirty strand of hair away from her eyes, she watched him start to walk away with trepidation before saying, "Tell me more about this group that you used to travel with."

Having only proceeded a few yards, Draco stopped mid-step and felt a hitch in his breath. He inwardly cursed at himself for being so mentally lax and revealing a portion of his past to her. Just because they weren't in any danger didn't mean that he should've kept himself unguarded. Chalking this up to a life lesson, the blonde rubbed the back of his head before finally replying, "...what?"

"I said that I want to know more about this group that you mentioned," Hermione responded back after catching up to him. "I'm curious to hear about some of the things that you must have experienced and witnessed."

Draco spat on the ground and let out a tiresome sigh. "The people I traveled with? They taught me the basics on how to survive these war-ravaged cities, and they had to save me from myself more than once."

"Save you from yourself?"

"Yeah, they had to save my life on a number of occasions, all due to things that I believed still held value, even during times of war. Yeah, war...I had no idea how little I knew of the weight behind the word until I went hungry."

Brushing the back of his head, the blonde began taking a few steps forward while whipping out a black card from his sleeves. "One time I ran out of eligible points and had no time to look for ways to recharge it. I would be shite out of luck and have to skip a turn on the ration line."

Draco furrowed his brow and looked straight ahead. "I wouldn't have any of that, my pride as a Malfoy wouldn't allow it. So, what did I do?" Letting out a mirthless, dry chuckle, he shook his head, "I went to the front of the line, told them who I was, and demanded that I get some food. Let's just say that it was the last time I did anything like that ever again."

A thick, heavy atmosphere permeated the air between them, with the only thing interrupting them being slight intervals of deep, shallow breaths. Gently putting a hand on his shoulder, Hermione asked, "Then what happened?"

The pureblood blinked a few times before dryly stating, "I ran." Taking in a shaky breath, he put a hand to his forehead and continued, "I ran, and ran, and ran. Even when my lungs were burning and my legs felt like quitting – I kept running. I don't know how long or far I went, but by the time I stopped..."

"So, then the people in your group...?"

"They're all dead," Draco replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Shoving the girl's hand away from his shoulder, he then added, "Also, keep your hands to yourself, I don't need your pity, Mudblood."

Ignoring Hermione's indignant sputtering, Draco began heading towards the manor again. Initially, his thoughts bordered around what his next course of action was – pending the discovery of the contents and entities that were holed up in the building. However, his attention was drawn back to the present when he noticed a peculiar occurrence in the surroundings that gave him pause in his steps.

"Bugger..." the blonde muttered under his breath while he trudged through the sand. Draco found it ironic how, just after mentioning the lessons that he was forced to learn to survive in this war-torn world, he had made a huge blunder. While his thoughts had lingered away from the present situation, he had somehow managed to stumble into overgrown patches of grass. He found this to be absolutely impossible, since he would've been able to spot something this large when he was initially looking over the entire landscape.

 _ **Rustle rustle rustle**_

Draco dropped his stance into a crouching position and cautiously stemmed his breath. It was just his luck, not only did he stumble into a field with a low visual perception, but with his continued succession of bad luck, whatever made that noise was probably a dangerous threat to his survivability. Planting his boots onto the ground, he then dug them into the gravel surface. The blonde tightened his stance, bringing his arms towards his chest while balling his hands into fists. Even if his bearings weren't straight, at the very least, the element of surprise wouldn't be an issue here. All he had to do was strike the assailant hard and fast.

 _ **Rustle rustle**_

It was coming closer to his location. There was no more time to think. He was going to swing first, then react later. If things went as planned, then there wouldn't be a need to react to this.

 _"Here it comes..."_ Draco clenched his fists tighter, digging his dirt-filled nails into his sweaty palms. He only had one shot at doing this correctly, and if there was even a single moment of doubt in his actions...

 ** _Rustle rustle rustle_**

 _"There!"_ The blonde propelled himself forward while cocking his arms back. Draco swung his arms at the spot where the overgrown weeds were split apart.

"Malfoy?"

Time.

The concept of this intangible entity is merely a social construct to help society function within certain comprehensible parameters. Even the 'bending' of such an obtuse abstraction with something such as a Time Turner is merely throwing caution to the wind and attempting to 'alter' things that were perhaps already construed within a different parallel timeline.

With that being said, right when his fist was about to collide with Hermione's face, Draco swore that time had somehow stopped for him. He wasn't sure of the reason why or how, but all he knew was that this change in perception was enough to help him diverge his arm away before he was able to strike her.

However, this was not accomplished without any consequence.

"Fuck!" Draco yelled, rolling to the ground while holding his arm in agony. In an effort to avoid hitting Hermione, he had been forced to twist his body in a manner that only a contortionist would be able to pull off without much discomfort. Unfortunately, this was not a trait that the young man was able to miraculously 'unlock', resulting in the blonde becoming injured.

While the Malfoy heir really wanted to use some of the Occlumency tricks that he had been taught to evenly stabilize his emotions, none of them had been practiced under such conditions. There were a few other options that he could've turned to, but he ultimately knew that none of it would've mattered. All he could do now was temporarily mend his arm until he could get it properly healed by a mediwitch or a Healer.

Reaching out with his uninjured left arm, Draco shakily took hold of a nearby weed and ripped it off the root. Feeling strangely drained from this strenuous activity, the blonde flopped down onto the ground while letting out an audible groan. Every fiber in his body screamed at him to just stay down and rest until his body became better. He hated himself for wielding such pitiful thoughts in his mind.

A fistful of small pebbles and rocks.

The fallen pureblood ungraciously rolled to his back and listlessly stared up at the sky. Had it always been this black? This empty? Would the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the war consume him too like it did with Magical Britain? Or like it had done with Theo?

He felt like Nott got the short end of the wand, where his demise was brought upon from forces that were outside of his control. It also didn't help that Draco actually knew Theo on a bit more of a personal level. He was one of them.

Theo was a Slytherin. Now he was dead.

Draco felt his right arm twitch.

Inhaling deeply, Draco cleared his mind and released the granite from his hands and lodged the thick plant into his mouth. He bit down hard on the grass. It tasted metallic and bitter. Steadily releasing his breath, the blonde jerked his injured arm away, angling it perpendicular to his body.

The pain that surged through him was unbearable, with tears threatening to roll down from his eyes. The first time he had seen this method being used, he had thought nothing of it, chalking it up to something that he would have no use for.

Now?

The pale teenager was thankful for having both witnessed and been taught these odd, quirky skills by the group that he had been traveling with. He chomped down on the tasteless grass once again before taking his arm out from the sleeve of the robe.

Another low, guttural scream muffled by the ripped plant.

Draco lay on the gravel surface while spitting out the overgrown weed from his mouth. Letting out a groan, he smacked his lips together and felt some drool slide down to his jaw. Abandoning any pretense of high-brow decorum, the blonde simply wiped his chin with the robe that he was wearing.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, clasping her hands together while biting her lower lip. She stood by waiting for the dust to settle before turning her eyes to the fallen blonde. While it was apparent that her traveling partner was in a tremendous amount of discomfort, there wasn't much that she did in terms of helping him alleviate some of the pain. The most she did was shift her feet around and shake her head before asking him, "Do you need any help?"

Draco pressed his left arm onto the ground and pushed himself up, propping his body into an upright sitting position. Letting out a small grunt, he took the unused sleeve of his robe and tightly wrapped it around his injured arm. Finishing up the task, he then looked up at the Mudblood and thought about the antidote that she had given him before chuckling and answering, "Madam Pomfrey or St. Mungo's."

The girl tilted her head and looked at the blonde with a strange expression on her face and replied back, "Since we aren't in Hogwarts, we don't exactly have access to the school's Healer. And as for the hospital that you're asking for..."

"Shut up! I don't care anymore!" Draco snapped back, the limited amount of humor had quickly soured away from his mood. "Just had to go and bollocks it up, didn't you?" He sneered in disgust before getting back up on his feet. Shaking his head, he began walking towards the manor when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. The blonde angrily swatted at the arm before saying, "Didn't I tell you not to touch me?"

"Would you stop being so incorrigible for just one second, and let me help you?"

"I never said I needed your help Mud-"

"Merlin! Are you being serious right now, Malfoy?!" Hermione finally answered back in an exasperated tone. "After all that we've been through, you're just going to act like it didn't matter? None of it?" Throwing her hands up in frustration and disgust, she dashed around and got in front of Draco's face. "Tell me, what's your problem? Do you want to finish this mission or not? Because I'm really confused as to what you want right now."

He wanted to...

Draco stared right back at Hermione, his Occlumency working overtime to reel in the emotions that were threatening to burst out at the seam.

...scream at her for trying to be such an altruistic person. Why did she have to try and intrude upon his personal space? Did she not understand just how fleeting their lives were during this war?

There were even parts of him that wanted to violently curse away this throbbing sensation that he kept feeling in his chest. He didn't know what it was, but he wanted it to stop.

He wanted to tell her to stop getting close to him, with fears of the Theo episode repeating itself. He wanted to yell at her on how unfair it was that Nott had died so early. Why couldn't it have been someone else? Anyone else? Out of all the magic users in the world, why did it have to be a Slytherin that he was cordial with?

But above all else, he just wanted things to go back to the way they were. When everything was black and white. O's and T's. Gryffindors and Slytherin. Pureblood and Mudblood.

He wished that he could simply close his eyes and wake up from this hellish nightmare.

However, rather than try and verbalize any of it, Draco simply took a deep breath before replying, "The pain from the fall bothered me quite a bit, and I let my temper get the better of me." Gritting his teeth, he gently moved his impromptu arm sling around and added, "We should get moving soon, it'll probably be safer to get inside that mansion." The blonde grunted while getting into a low, crouching position again.

* * *

 **[Sigh...really?]**

Hermione blinked a few times at the response and shook her head. She knew better than to press him for additional information. Even if she knew that there was something bothering the blonde, attempting to continue the conversation wouldn't curry her any favor. The forlorn, distant expression that Draco had held before responding to her was akin to the one that Harry had whenever something was bothering him as well.

The best way to deal with this? Leave them alone and it would usually resolve itself one way or another.

Firmly holding onto this belief, the brunette glanced over at Draco before shaking her head, letting out a sigh. Not wanting to get left behind, she quickly dropped her knees onto the ground and followed his lead. For a moment she almost regretted doing so. Even though she was trailing behind him from a reasonable distance, Hermione didn't know how, but she was fairly certain that the insufferable git was purposely timing it so that the grass would always land on her face.

 _"Just stay calm and wait until we get to the meeting point."_ Hermione took a deep breath and swallowed hard. _"McGonagall said that everything will be taken care of once we get there."_

Even with this reassurance, a few things caused her to have niggles of doubt gnaw at the back of her mind. One of them was the timing of this entire journey. Initially, when they had set off for this escapade, the plan had been to arrive at the hide-out within a week. With all the hijinks and detours that they had encountered along the way, it wasn't outside the realm of possibilities to think that the pair had perished. Heck, if she was in their position, she might've feared the worst as well!

 _"I can only hope that a week hasn't passed yet."_

There was also the other factor: Draco Malfoy.

No, she wasn't suddenly feeling some sort of pity or sympathy for her arch-nemesis, and there definitely wasn't any type of affection growing inside of her. It was the fact that she was starting to unravel the person behind the Slytherin mask, the one that the blonde had worn since his introduction to the world as the Malfoy heir. He had become a mystery to her, one that she wanted to solve by piecing together the small tidbits of information that she could gather from the interactions that she had with him on this misadventure.

Hermione, however, feared that all her progress would be for naught once they reached the meeting point. That was, of course, assuming that there were people still waiting for them. Letting out a despondent sigh, she simply shoved all these matters to the side and focused on the immediate task at hand – surviving.

A grimace slowly surfaced on her face. Hermione had only been crawling for a few yards, but every time she scraped her knee against the rough gravel, a sharp, painful jolt ran through her legs. Her hair was beginning to stick to her face, dry grime and sweat had covered her body, and the prospect of hunger and exhaustion was threatening to engulf her consciousness. Still, this wasn't enough to deter her from following Draco without as much as a peep of a complaint from her cracking lips. At this point, she would be willing to do almost anything for a warm bath and a meal.

Almost.

"Something's been bothering me," the girl whispered, finally breaking the monotonous silence. When she didn't hear a response back from Draco, she continued, "Where did all this grass come from?"

* * *

The question was surprising enough to throw him off track, making him slightly hesitate in his steps. So, it wasn't just his imagination or lack of attentiveness that had made him miss this overgrown field. Still, if neither of them had been able to initially spot it, then where did it come from? There were too many unanswered questions, and he highly doubted that he would be able to get answers for any of them.

"One moment I was trying to follow you, the next I was trying to navigate myself through that grass while searching for you."

"I'm not surprised, since you tend to use your mouth a lot more than your eyes," Draco sneered, completely ignoring the incoming outburst and opting to dash towards the mansion. Once he reached the front, he took hold of a handle and jiggled it in his hands. It was unlocked.

"Ugh! You're just bloody impossible!"

Draco slyly faced away from the direction of Hermione's voice, doing his best to cover the growing smirk. The blonde patiently waited until she was within earshot so that he could swiftly quip back at her with a sharp Slytherin-like grace. With a twist of his body and a slight inclination of his chin, Draco launched a retort that was reminiscent of the days back in Hogwarts. Unfortunately, he had only gone as far as the turn before his body froze at an unexpected sight.

"Malfoy, why are you just standing there staring at the...? Oh."

When the pair took a look back, they didn't see a single evidence of the overgrown field that they had recently traversed.

"How...what..."

The situation only got worse when they heard what sounded like a mimicry of a wolf's howl nearby. Just like the creatures that they had previously stumbled upon, the bestial growl's tonality was more akin to a human trying to imitate it.

"Get inside," Draco said, opening one of the double doors to the old mansion.

"I still don't understand..."

Hearing the imitation wolf cry at a much closer distance than the previous one, Draco didn't think twice about grabbing Hermione by the arm and dragging her into the mansion with him. Kicking the door behind them, the blonde spun around and slowly began to backtrack. He silently waited with abated breath, wondering what sort of terror would burst through the entrance and greet them.

Would he be able to get through and protect that damnable woman at the same time? Draco unconsciously positioned himself in front of Hermione.

With every passing second, the racket heard from the other side slowly dwindled until it became nothing but a distant memory. Letting out a sigh of relief, Draco ran a hand through his tussled, dirty hair and leaned against a nearby wall.

* * *

Hermione let out a sigh before feeling her legs completely collapse, leaving her sprawling to the floor. She wondered for a moment if she had committed an egregious crime or had offended some unknown deity in her past life. That had to be the reason for her to end up in a situation so convoluted that the entire journey looked more like a plot from a fantasy Muggle book.

The stone marble was cold against her body. A shiver of goosebumps crawled over her skin.

Letting out a sigh, she could only imagine what her appearance would look like reflected in a mirror. Her unruly mess of a hair felt dry and heavy, the bangs roughly bumping against her face while weighing her head down at the same time. Also, much like her traveling partner, she found much of her exposed skin caked with thick dirt and grime.

What she wouldn't do to be back at Hogwarts right about now.

 _"What's done is done."_ Hermione closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to get her heart beating at a regular pace. _"I was the one that agreed to this plan, so I need to see this through to the end."_

Still, the question remained, would they be able to reach the end of this odyssey, or would this lead to their demise? This was one of the rare inquiries that she didn't want answered.

"How much longer are you going to be lying there? We don't have time to be taking naps, Granger."

Draco's haughty tone was enough to drag her back to reality, with the daunting task of staying alive and making it to the meeting point looming over her. A harsh reminder of the stark difference between her stay in the school and the life outside of the sanctuary.

Hermione stared back at him in disdain before shaking her head. It amazed her to no end that considering the dire circumstance they were in, he never failed to project his prejudice and disgust with his voice. The level of contempt was easily carried by his body posture and sneer – both of which rolled off of him quite naturally.

Taking one more deep breath, the witch slowly raised her upper body from the floor and settled into sitting on her butt. The stone felt uncomfortably sharp on her bottom, but it would have to do for the moment. Burying her face into her knees, she softly asked, "Malfoy, do you miss your parents?"

Silence reigned over the pair for a few minutes.

Hermione didn't know why she had asked the question, but she felt compelled into asking it. She gripped the side of her clothes, fully expecting the blonde to ridicule her while answering it in his usual caustic manner.

"Huh? What? Why do you want to know anything about my parents?"

The response was a far better one than she had expected, as it wasn't an outright rejection to what she had suddenly blurted out.

"It's times like this that I wish my parents were here, just so I could turn to them for a much needed hug. There would be no questions asked, and it would be full of affection." Hermione was surprised by the words that were tumbling from her lips. She knew that circumstances like this called for them to be more somber and alert to their surroundings. However, it had been a while since she had been able to have a conversation like this. It wasn't on the same intimacy level as the ones she would have with Ron or Harry, but considering the present situation, it was good enough for her.

"Granger..." Draco was hovering around her with his hands inside of his robes. "We don't have time for this. Get back up so we can get moving again."

Rubbing her eyes in a circular motion, she let out another tired sigh and weakly nodded before promptly getting back up on her feet. The moment had been very brief, but nonetheless, it had been enough to temporarily refresh her.

Hermione took one last look at the door before shaking her head. It was readily apparent that, between the choice of the present danger or the unknown, it was more prudent to go with the latter – at least for their current situation. Still, those precarious decisions didn't alleviate any of the worries that permeated her mind. Who knew what horrors lurked around the dark corners of this building? Maybe this was all a big, elaborate trap that was constructed by a preceding group. Perhaps this was just the calm before the storm, and...

"Granger," Draco's low, steady voice cut in between her frantic thoughts. "Stay close to me, it should give us a better chance of getting out of this situation alive."

The entrance hall was quite spacious, but with just the bare minimum decorum hanging from the walls. Much of the house's foundational upkeep appeared to be abandoned, the stench of musk and rot quickly hitting their senses.

The pair cautiously stepped forward and the entire atmosphere immediately was deathly eerie, with only hints of the previous resident dangling in the air. Every step they took was met by a discordant shriek, the rotting floor boards acting as a discomforting reminder of their own precarious situation.

Hermione unconsciously shifted closer to her arch-nemesis, making sure to stay on her toes the entire time. She felt an uneasy, chilly breeze blow across the corridor and caress her with its frosty touch. Its fingers swiftly circled around her, pricking every inch of her body with a pin before sweeping away to its next victim. A shiver went up her spine, making her wonder if one of the windows inside the manor was left ajar.

The door to the next room was oddly missing; however, with no signs of broken hinges or missing frames, it was difficult to tell if anything was misplaced at all. Cautiously, the pair entered the area, making sure to fully take note of their surroundings. They discovered that it was the main hallway, the one that led to all the other rooms, along with the second floor of the mansion. The upper level was accessible by walking up a spiraling staircase. It was haphazardly slapped against the walls, almost like it had been constructed as an afterthought. It fell too close to the entrance and appeared to be unevenly narrow. The banister followed the same structural theme, a demonstration in inefficiency rather than practicality. The hand rail was simply a plank of wood supported by two mean spindles of bare pine that were randomly placed without any justification. Judging it from the fading colors of the material and the rotting stench of the wafting in the air, it appeared as though it would come crashing down even from the weight of a child.

How frightening.

"Whoever designed this mansion clearly has no fashion or interior sense," Draco sneered in a low voice, just loud enough for Hermione to catch. "The fountain in the lobby is missing, the wallpapers are clearly used to mask the weak foundation of the house, and why are the stairs circling around in such a meaningless manner?"

Hermione tilted her head and gave the blonde a funny look.

"When I told my mother that I would leave all the decorative planning to my future wife, she immediately fixed that problem. She made me follow her everywhere and learn everything there is to know about these things." Draco shook his head before letting out a sigh. "It didn't help that he was always strangely absent or busy whenever this came up."

The explanation, while mildly entertaining, was told in an unfortunate setting which dampened its overall effect. Still, Hermione appreciated what he was trying to do, even if that wasn't what he was trying to do in the first place.

The first floor of the creepy manor had four rooms, including the one that they had just arrived from, along with the stairs leading to the upper level. However, midway through Draco's monologue, Hermione's attention was slowly getting drawn to a door. It was located at the deep far end of the hallway and seemed to hold some sort of ominous air. With each step she took, the cheap wall papers began to peel while the floors rattled under her feet.

A sound was made in the background. White noise.

Hermione saw that the door had been left slightly ajar, allowing small rays of light to filter out through the crack. Her mind informed her not to move, to go back where she was safe, but her body argued back, inching ever so closer to the door. Once her hand took hold of the knob, a brilliant amber glow exploded out from the crevice. The witch's senses were given no time, a soft breeze glided across her ear, with it seemingly mimicking a giggle followed by a child-like voice asking her, "Are you here to be my friend?"

The bushy-haired witch was completely entranced by what she saw in the room. All signs of the decrepit, rotting house were gone, and instead she found herself in an area bursting with luminescent colors and floral life. Everywhere she looked, all she saw was an endless field of orange, sparkling pastures, and children that were happily running across the open meadow.

The situation felt a bit off to Hermione. She had a feeling that she was doing something far more important at some weird place with a particular blonde, infuriating...

"Hey," a gentle female voice called out to her. "Forget everything, and come join us!"

Turning her head to the speaker, Hermione saw a child reaching out with her right arm. Leaning forward with her left hand, she steadily got closer to the smaller figure and was almost within her grasp...

"GRANGER!"

Hermione inhaled sharply and saw the grassy fields replaced by a few shelves before feeling everything around her blank into darkness at once. In seconds, her senses returned and the room shifted back to the more familiar bleak and achromatic setting. It was like all the life had been sucked out of the area and bottled back up.

What had happened? One moment she was...she was...

Letting out a shaky groan, she took a careful look around and noticed that she was staring up at Draco, which meant that she was lying down on the wooden floorboard. Blinking a few times, she rubbed her eyes before steadily getting back up on her feet. She knew there had to be a logical reason as to why he had pushed her down to the ground. Both of them had too much to lose at this point to be hurting each other without some meaningful intent behind it.

At least that was what she was able to eventually ascertain to herself once she was able to collect her wits and thoughts.

"So?" Hermione finally said, placing her right hand against her hip. "What happened here? What happened to all the grass and the girls that were here..."

Draco stared at her with a funny expression on his face before shaking his head. "By the time I was done talking, I saw you moving towards this room. I didn't want to risk shouting out your name, in case there's someone, or something, that's lurking in these dark corners. So of course, I chased you all the way down here and saw you looking like you were **_Imperiused_** and about to touch that thing over there."

"Over there...?"

The blonde nodded in response before pointing towards the table. Hermione bit her lower lip and stared at the aforementioned direction, internally debating the merits of investigating the item that caused the strange phenomenon. In the end, her desire to fulfill her morbid curiosity won out, leading her to walk towards this incriminating thing.

"This is it?" Hermione mumbled to herself, staring in complete disbelief at the item. It was a porcelain doll, and it was in perfect, mint condition. The feature that had her questioning everything that had previously occurred was how it was an exact replica of the child that had been trying to befriend her. A gentle breeze guided her eyes into looking up, allowing her to see even more dolls sitting around the shelf, all eerily staring at her. Once more she heard the same voice beckon to her to join them.

"I don't think any of these rooms on the lower floors lead anywhere, let's go straight up the stairs and..."

"Malfoy?" Hermione said, ignoring everything that he was trying to tell her. Her mind was at odds with itself once again. However, this time, it was due to the fact that she had no idea how to verbalize her thoughts. It felt like her words were stuck at the back of her throat, dying to pop out from her mouth. But she had no idea what it was that she wanted to say about the doll, and what she wanted to do with it.

Did she want to stay here? Did she want to take it with her? Would he be okay with them staying in this room for a few more minutes? Hours? Days?

 **[Forever?]**  
All eternity?

* * *

"Granger!" Draco angrily pulled her arm and forcibly dragged her away from the room. The blonde gritted his teeth, feeling the harsh backlash of the oath that he had taken. Technically, he wasn't harming the witch, at least not purposely. But according to the magical promise he had made to Hermione, he was hurting her. Again.

He had enough of the Mudblood constantly spacing out like Loony Lovegood. Even if he wasn't an expert on these things, he figured that something in the room was acting like a powerful magical artifact. Strong enough to affect unsuspecting people and lure them in to do Merlin knows what. There was no way he was going to stick around to figure out the 'what'. Not when they had a mission to finish.

Pushing the girl forward, Draco kicked the door and leaned back with his body to make sure that it was tightly shut. Breathing in deeply, the blonde closed his eyes and began to count to ten. There was no use in allowing his temper to flare and getting into a spat with the know-it-all. She actually didn't know any better.

She actually didn't know-it-all.

Chuckling to himself at the dry humor, Draco brushed the back of his head before fixing the harness around his injured arm. Looking down at Hermione, he waited for her pupils and then her eyes to regain focus before asking her, "So, you ready to continue, or do I need to keep babysitting you like this?"

"What...happened?"

Draco rubbed his chin for a second before shrugging, "You were doing your best impression of Lovegood for the last half hour or so. All you needed to do was babble incoherently, and I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference."

After a few seconds of silence, she asked, "What about the doll?"

The blonde raised an eyebrow before responding, "Doll? I was only kidding about you copying her by speaking nonsense." Walking through the door and back to the main hallway, the blonde pointed to the stairs and whispered to her, "We've made enough noise to wake up the ghosts here. Just stay close to me and try to be quiet, alright?"

"...it's wake the dead, Malfoy."

Draco opened then closed his mouth before curling it into a half-sneer. "That doesn't make any sense, how can the dead wake up, if they're already dead? Just shut up and follow me." He wasn't going to admit it, but the response informed him of her condition, and it relieved him.

The pair slowly made their way up the stairs, making sure to cover their tracks, and carefully observing their surroundings. Aside from the dying flames on the perched torches, there was nothing that could be seen as being extraordinary. Draco took an overly precarious position this time around, having only one useable arm and limited vision of the stairs had made him extra paranoid. Feeling a lot more desperate and insecure about the entire situation, he was constantly switching between looking at the Mudblood and everything around him.

It was nerve wracking.

In fact, now that he thought about it, why were the light sources in the building dwindling? If the manor was truly abandoned, then it shouldn't be possible for them to spot things that were nearing their end. This could only mean that someone with the capabilities of using these torches was residing here!

"Malfoy," Hermione hissed at him, "I think there's someone..."

 ** _Crash!_**

"Fuuu-gh!" Draco grunted out, finding his left leg plunging straight down into the rotten floor board of the staircase. Feeling the bile of frustration and anger ready to crawl out of his throat, he dutifully tried his best to swallow back the irritating lump. Using his one good arm, he desperately tried to pull himself out when he suddenly felt something hard nudge his forehead.

He wanted to ask what it was that the Mudblood wanted at this very moment that required his undivided attention. However, before he was able to spit out anything, he heard a familiar voice grunt out to him.

"Don't you dare move!"

Draco's world stopped for a moment. If this was who he thought it was, then maybe this journey wouldn't be impossible to finish after all. He felt his heart start to race, his head begin to swim, his breathing become shallower, and his vision blurred. It couldn't be, could it?

His eyes slowly began rotating up to verify the identity of the speaker.

"I said don't!"

Despite the grim circumstances, he couldn't help but feel a grin forming at the corner of his lips.

"It's good to see you still alive, Goyle."


	8. Chapter 8

**Story Note:**

"What have you done to me?" ~ Regular dialogue

 _"Why can't I have good things? I never have good things." ~_ Thoughts

 _The three tried running as fast as they could, but failed in their endeavor._ ~Flashback

* * *

 **Closer Look:** Draco

Too fast. Everything's happened too fast.

There hasn't been a single moment of rest since I've come into this bloody manor. First there's the incident with Granger becoming rather mental and going off on her own. Have I not told her that we should be sticking together? Of course, things get more bollocks when I climb up the old, daft staircase and unexpectedly come across a wand being pointed in my face while a familiar voice greets me.

Thankfully, the bloke's Goyle, and he still appears to be sound in both his mind and mannerisms. Still, the thing that really knackers me is him shacking up with Brown of all people.

Lavender Brown and Gregory Goyle.

I've never imagined that those two would ever get together. I try saying the names together again, but it doesn't roll off the tongue so easily. It leaves a very caustic and bitter taste in my mouth.

"Ehem."

Goyle reminds me that I'm not alone in the room and promptly pulls me back to reality. Ah, he's giving me a queer look. Probably because of what I just said...I shouldn't have uttered it out loud. Oh well, Goyle is still Goyle, he won't do anything to me.

...or should I say, he can't do anything to me?

The room that he has brought us to is an utter mess with very poor lighting. I can see clumps of dust piling at the corner, cobwebs sticking all across the ceiling, and unintelligible graffiti messily colored over the walls. It's apparent that I'm not the first person to experience this unwelcoming, macabre pile of bricks, there were other people that've been here before me. Still, couldn't he have Brown or some insufferable house-elf clean this place up for him?

Speaking of those bloody nuisances, I could really use one right about now. They're never around when I need them but seem to appear at some of the most inconvenient moments. Useless, the lot of them!

I take a short walk over to the side and notice that Goyle immediately shifts his body to block me from going through to the other side. It looks like I'm going to be staying in this room for some time, although I didn't have any plans to break away in the first place. I need some time to rest and figure out where I am before making any more decisions.

Over at the big pile, I see what appears to be remains of worn-out furniture all cluttered together in a disorderly fashion. There are newspapers that are dated as far back as a hundred years ago, and boxes that have the word 'FRAGILE' fading into oblivion, along with broken pieces of jars, plates, and glasses.

What am I seeing? Why would he have such outdated papers here?

The only answer I get back is the smell of permeating rot, the sound of old wood creaking, and the sight of Goyle impatiently staring back at me. It's probably best if I stop wasting time and start talking to him.

* * *

Draco promptly took a seat on one of the dusty wooden chairs, resting his injured left arm on a small, round table. Letting out a small yawn, he leaned back against the recliner and dully stared back at the other occupant in the room.

"Hey, Goyle-"

"Damnit!" Gregory growled under his breath. Punching the wall with his right hand, he then slumped against it before asking in a sullen voice, "Why're you here?"

"What?" Draco answered back, slightly confused by the sudden question.

"I-I..." Taking a deep breath, the brown-haired Slytherin turned around to face the other speaker in the room. "Before you showed up, it was...easy. Really easy."

For a moment, Draco was tempted to open his mouth and make some type of snide remark but decided to hold his tongue. There were too many things for him to ask at this moment, and wasting his breath on petty insults just didn't seem like a worthwhile endeavor.

He couldn't wait for the war to end.

"Look," the blonde finally said, addressing Gregory. "Just tell me how to get off this island and I'll leave as soon as I can."

Slamming his right arm down on the table, Gregory shook his head. "N-no, you don't get it! It's-it's not that easy, you know?"

Draco reached up with his uninjured arm and ran it through his hair, not understanding this dilemma. All he had to do was tell him what he wanted to know. What was stopping him from divulging this piece of information? It was such a simple task, yet, the manner in which Gregory was acting had him begin to wonder if there was something wrong with him.

Perhaps he was under some type of oath not to speak about it? Maybe he was under some kind of spell that anchored him here?

Draco squelched his thoughts while he watched Gregory pace around the room. He knew that lingering on the issue wouldn't do him any favors, heck, the more he thought about it, the worse his imagination became. Rather than draw up inaccurate scenarios behind his childhood friend's hesitation, he decided to be patient with him.

 _"Not like I have a choice in the matter,"_ Draco thought to himself, mentally snorting at the situation.

After walking back and forth a few more times, Gregory stopped at a nearby wall and placed his back against it. "I-I went through so much just to get here, you know?" Letting out a sigh, he looked up at the ceiling before continuing in a low voice, "Especially after...after that inci-incident, you know? The one with you and Dumbledore, and...and..."

Noticing the appearance of hesitation and the slow drawl in his speech, Draco tilted his head and stared at Goyle for a few seconds. Pursing his lips, he then softly uttered out, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..."

Draco didn't require a seer to know that something was bothering Gregory. However, attempting to directly pry it out of him would only lead him to further denial. Letting out a small yawn, the blonde leaned back against the chair and kicked his legs upon the shoddy table.

"Wh-what are you d-doing...?"

Scratching the tip of his nose with his uninjured hand, Draco replied, "I figured that I might as well get comfortable, since I'll be stuck here with you for the foreseeable future."

It was apparent at this point that the perspective of him staying for an elongated period of time made Gregory uncomfortable. Draco knew that a single push was needed to get him to start talking. Closing his eyes, the blonde shrugged and crossed his arms and asked, "So, what's for supper? Also, what do you guys do for entertainment? Do you make the little bitch-"

Knocking the table off to the side, Gregory faced Draco while letting out a small snarl, "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

Swaying for a second, the blonde managed to steady himself and regain his balance. Letting out a small sigh, Draco sneered before swiping the bangs away from his face and replied back, "So, she's the problem, huh?"

"I...I..."

Draco watched Goyle slowly back away and mutter incomprehensibly under his breath. He was certain that his childhood friend was mentally debating himself, struggling between two decisions, before ultimately going with the one that gave him the least resistance.

Which in most cases was Gregory following his instructions.

"I..." Goyle took a deep breath before continuing, "I guess it started after you disappeared from Hogwarts. I was lost in everything, so I...I just followed one of them Death Eaters..."

 **[Flashback]**

 _Gregory found himself stumbling into a hallway, or was it a passageway? Perhaps some kind of cave? He wasn't entirely sure where he was and it didn't help that the entire area was blanketed by a dusty darkness. The young man frantically looked around to see if he could find the person that was a constant presence in his life._

 _"M-Malfoy?"_

 _"Eff that bloody wanker!" someone screamed off to the side._

 _"Did the little tosser fail our Lord like we thought he would?"_

 _"Yeah," another person answered, "but that spy, Snape was it? He came through in a pinch."_

 _"Really? Always figured him to be a dodgy bloke."_

 _A few more conversations were discussed amongst the group, but the only thing Goyle was able to comprehend was that the Malfoy heir was not with him. Wanting to regain a small modicum of control over this strange situation, the young man took out his wand and cast_ _ **'Lumos'**_ _._

 _Or at least he tried._

 _As soon as his wand flickered with signs of life, Gregory's casting arm was immediately pulled down, breaking his focus on the spell._

 _"You idiot," a voice hissed next to him. "Do you want to get killed?"_

 _Now he was beyond confused. There were too many questions that he wanted answered and the individual that usually told him everything wasn't here. How was he supposed to know how to act? What to think? Even the few times he had been separated, he always had distinct orders on what was expected of him._

 _Yeah, that's what he would do. Just keep quiet and find a way to get back to Malfoy. Simple, convenient, and there wouldn't be any chance of breaching the contract between the two families._

 _"...so, when will we receive the Mark?"_

 _This jolted Goyle back to the present. The Mark? Was someone asking about taking up the Dark Mark that You-Know-Who branded people with? Then that meant...that meant..._

 _"Wait, so then He's really here?"_

 _With the possibility of Voldemort gracing them with his presence, the area instantly became deathly quiet. Every single individual held their breath, anxiously waiting for the Dark Lord to appear before them. When it was clear that he wouldn't be showing up, the noise level reverted to its chaotic level._

 _Gregory was utterly confused at this point. What was he supposed to do? What was the correct course of action to take? There were too many questions going through his mind. Unfortunately, he was unable to focus on a single thought. Whether it was because of his natural disposition towards allowing others to think for him, or due to the incessant sounds surrounding him, Goyle found it impossible to make any sort of decision._

 _Finally, amidst the cacophonous discord, a single, angry voice managed to cut through the thick cloud of dissent._

 _"We were promised the Mark once we finished the job." A threatening growl could be heard emitting from the speaker. "You're completely nutters if you think I'm leaving here without my reward."_

 _It was just about impossible for him to see who the speaker's intended audience was, but one thing was clear - the man managed to quiet down the room and grab every person's attention. After a few moments of absolute silence, an unknown voice hissed out, "Fair enough...come with me and I'll give you what you want."_

 **[What's happening? Too dark]**

 _At first, nobody dared to move, with the statement sounding more like an invitation to death. But all it took was a single ripple before the vast majority of the crowd began to move towards the direction of the offeror's voice._

 _Goyle stood planted on the same spot from when he had first entered into this strange place. The exit was right behind him. All he had to do was turn around, take a few steps, and then go on his merry way toward searching for Malfoy. That would be the best course of action, right?_

 _Right?_

 _Yet...there was an opportunity to acquire the Dark Mark and be considered, at least amongst the Death Eaters, to be at the same level as Malfoy. It was a rare chance that would be absolutely wasted if he didn't take it now._

 _What was the right answer here?_

 **[End Flashback]**

"Wait," Draco said, shaking his head and effectively interrupting Goyle's narration. "You got the Mark now?"

Tilting his head, he stared curiously at Gregory, watching him absent-mindedly rub his left tricep. A small frown entered Draco's face when he noticed the odd manner in which his childhood friend was wearing the black robe. He was hiding his left arm inside the sleeve of the garment, effectively giving that side an uneven appearance. While the blonde had his suspicions on Goyle's reasons for donning them in such a queer fashion, the only thing it had managed to do was draw needless attention to it.

It was very un-Slytherin like, but in an isolated manor away from society, did it really matter?

Taking the non-verbal answer at face value, Draco let out a small sigh and said, "So, what happened after?"

"W-well..."

 **[Flashblack]**

 _Gregory numbly stared at the group before him. How long had it been since he was separated from Malfoy? A few days? Weeks? Months? Years?!_

 _No, it couldn't be years, even he wasn't dimwitted enough to think that much time had elapsed. Besides, if it had, then he would've violated one of the clauses of the contract...and then...and then..._

 _Goyle slowly blinked and scratched his head in bewilderment. Now that he thought about it, he was really fuzzy and unclear on the details of the agreement between the two families. Yes, he did receive some instructions that he should follow, like, not saying the heir's name or a few other minor ones that he found easy to fulfill. Of course, the most important one that was hammered into him on a daily basis was that he was to always agree with and obey Draco Malfoy._

 _Wasn't there some sort of caveat to this?_

 _Gregory held the front of his forehead and winced. Lately, he had been using this period of separation to try and figure some things out on his own. Unfortunately, that meant attempting to expend his mental capacity, which wasn't something that suited him at all._

 _"...and that's the plan. Got it?"_

 _"Wha-huh?" Goyle managed to blurt out before watching the group split off into different directions. Blinking his eyes a few times, he regained focus on them and slowly turned his attention to the remaining individual. He fluttered his eyes one last time before recalling why he was here in the first place._

 _What had he said to them?_

 _Gregory was about to open his mouth and ask the person to repeat the instruction, but the only thing that came out was a dull, "Uh..."_

 _"There's always one in every group..."_

 _Not knowing how to properly respond to this, he did what came natural to him: staying silent and nodding in affirmation._

 _"Merlin help me, I'm gonna Avada one of these tossers in the face one day."_

 _Goyle merely stared back with a blank expression, not offering any type of feedback to the intended insult or threat. Now this sort of treatment was something he was used to, since it occurred to him on a daily basis. He found, through trial and error from his past experience, that the less he reacted to the speaker, then they, in turn, would quickly grow bored and move on from it._

 _This one wasn't any different._

 _"Listen up, you gormless chav, we're running a smaller raid here, got it?"_

 _No response from Goyle._

 _"Oh Merlin, I really am going to be a member short before the day's over. Go to the house over there and terrorize it so we can leave our Lord's mark all through the town."_

 _Leaving the man to his thoughts, he lumbered his way over to his assignment and stopped in front of the door. Taking a deep breath, he steadily readied his wand and mentally prepared himself for anything that might greet him. It was his first raid – granted a minor one to help 'train' the newer recruits, but still a task that You-Know-Who expected to be complete._

 _Gregory touched the edge his mask, feeling the cold, smooth surface against his fingers. He found the material improper and alien. His sense of touch had been unable to recognize the flimsy nature of this particular fabric. He was told that it was called 'pla-stick' and that he shouldn't bother questioning it and just get used to it._

 _Goyle shut his mouth and did as he was told._

 _Putting aside the sudden introduction of a material he had never found in the wizarding world, it was time to start the mission. He tugged on the mask once more and almost felt safe and secure hiding his face behind it. The anonymity that this cover provided for the wearer was something that seemed to peel away at their inhibitions, one that gave civilized people an excuse to lean upon their basic instincts._

 _Could the same thing apply to him?_

 _Goyle shook his head and freed himself of the lingering thoughts in his mind. There were too many things going through his head, and this wasn't the right time to be going through any of them. Especially when it didn't make much sense to him in the first place._

 _Taking out his wand, he counted down from three before blasting off the lock and kicking the door open. He patiently waited outside for a few seconds, just in case there were any ambushes or traps waiting to be triggered by the entrance collapsing. It was one of the steps that were continuously hammered into new recruits like him. Of course, it helped drive home the point when he personally witnessed someone taking an explosive spell to the face._

 _Once he deemed it safe to move forward, Gregory cautiously walked into the house._

 _ **"**_ _Dark,"_ _Goyle grumbled under his breath, finding the area bereft of light. Taking a few steps forward, a small grunt rumbled out from his throat when he felt his shin bump into a sturdy object. The usual protocol was to allow the initial response of fear to permeate the air and quickly take advantage of the confusion created by it._

 _However, rather than provide him the shroud of anonymity that he required, all it did was obstruct his progress. The last straw was when he heard a stifled cry somewhere in the room but was unable to locate the source of the noise. Not wanting to stay in the dark any longer, he flicked his wand, "_ _ **Lumos,"**_

 _Once his eyes adjusted to the poorly lit room, Goyle quickly scanned the area, trying to spot any anomalies. The initial search proved to be fruitless, with the only discovery being the complete disarray of the room. His attention was immediately drawn to the side when he heard something crash to the floor._

 _"Food?" Goyle muttered to himself, squinting at the fallen plate. Reaching out with his finger, he lightly poked at the morsel. It was still soft and warm when he touched it. He didn't even have to be told by anyone what this meant._

 _Someone was still here._

 _It didn't take him long to discover the person responsible for the wasted food. Ducking into the adjacent hallway, he followed the path until he came across a blockade...a blockade..._

 _A fuzzy and incomplete blockade?_

…

 _This time, he was sure that he had found something._

 **(End Flashback)**

"Hold on." Draco stopped Goyle from proceeding any further. "How did you go around this blockade? This makes no sense."

 **[This makes no sense]**

"Uh..." Goyle mumbled incoherently while scratching the back of his head. "I-I don't remember."

"Whatever, just keep going."

 **(Flashback)**

 _The sound of hushed whispers and muffled voices was coming from the other side. Gregory tightened his grip on the knob, swung the door open, and pointed his wand forward while he looked down at his victims._

 _"P-please, don't hurt us..."_

 _Goyle was about to open his mouth and answer when another voice yelled, "S-stay back! We didn't do anything! Just leave us alone!"_

 _Right, he had the Death Eater mask still covering his face. His eyes shifted over the small group and stopped when they landed on a female. She looked vaguely familiar to him. He knew that he had seen her somewhere at school, he just couldn't put a name to her face._

 _However, before he could further assess the situation in his mind..._

…

 _"Goyle? Goyle! We gotta get out of here!"_

 _Gregory blinked a few times when he saw Pansy run up to him. He once again reverted back to a state of confusion when he saw her in such a panicked state. Shaking his head, he asked her, "What?"_

 _"Those...those things! They're here! We have to leave now!"_

 _Goyle opened his mouth and responded back, "Wait a second..."_

 **(End flashblack)**

"Hold on, wait a second," Draco once again repeated, interrupting Goyle's narration of his memory. "Where did Pansy come from?"

"Um...sh-she was with me," Goyle stuttered back in a low voice.

"So, she joined the Death Eaters?"

He received a nod.

"Then why wasn't she wearing a mask when she came to you? For Salazar's sake, Goyle! This is jumping all over the place! Did you recognize her voice or something? What happened in between the people you found and Pansy finding you?"

"Uh...Lavender said so."

"What?!" Draco snapped back, rubbing his forehead and trying to make sense of the story. "What does she have to do with anything? No, never mind that, so, you mean to tell me that Pansy Parkinson was with you, and you forgot to tell me? Why was she there? Did she just randomly find you? No...that can't be it, not with how she was talking to you."

"I-I wasn't thinking, you know?" Gregory hesitantly replied. "I mean, my whole life, I've been told what to do, you know? So...so I just-just went with it, you know?"

The blonde paused for a second and went through all the possibilities, but felt an overwhelming sense of confusion pervade his mind.

"I still can't believe she joined them," Draco finally blurted out, attempting to come to grips with the new information that was presented to him. The young wizard rubbed the side of his temples, attempting to put the pieces together. He had too many questions to ask at this point. However, he knew that if he began firing them at his childhood peer, then the only thing he would receive would be empty words and useless frustration. Neither option seemed all too appealing at the moment.

"Pansy was looking for you," Goyle said in a matter-of-fact tone.

This piece of information made him pause in his thoughts. If what Goyle told him was true and she joined solely on the fact that she was searching for him, then...

Gregory nodded and answered, "That p-person I was talking about? Th-the one I reco...gnized?"

Draco twirled his hand, motioning for Goyle to continue.

"I-it was...ba-I mean, it's Brown."

The blonde snapped his head back towards the direction of the speaker with a stern look on his face. Draco opened his mouth to say something, but his brain was still coming to terms with everything presented to him. If what he said was true, then there was one burning question he immediately needed answered.

"Where is she, Goyle?"

"Um...well...I-uh, she's, uh..."

Draco was about to snap at his long-time friend to hurry his response when he realized that doing so would be wholly counterproductive. Taking a deep breath, Draco calmed himself down and nodded his head, "Forget it, there's more to this, right? Tell me the rest."

"W-well, I was outside, and um...yeah, I took her and Pansy with me, alright, yeah, I remember what happened..."

 **[Flashback]**

 _The night skies seemed abnormally beautiful on this particular evening, with the sparkling stars and crescent moon dazzling through the clouds. But, due to their harrowing circumstances, it was near impossible for any of the three, Gregory, Pansy, or Lavender, to enjoy such a gorgeous environment._

 _The trio were currently trying to run as far away from the chaotic scene of the village as they possibly could. Nothing mattered to any of them, except to try and separate themselves from the terrible creatures that swarmed through the streets and buildings. They had no idea if they were being followed or not, but that wasn't much of an issue._

 _Not when they were running for their very lives._

 _"I-I can't...run..." Pansy gasped out, collapsing to the dry grass beneath her feet. Lavender quietly followed suit, falling to the ground right behind them. Goyle carefully stood by while the two witches took a short respite. Keeping himself tightly guarded for any possible ambushes, he quickly scanned the area. The only thing worth noting was a long winding river that seemed to be connected to a larger body of water. If they weren't careful with it, they might actually get caught in the rapids and get swept away._

 _Shaking his head, Gregory took a deep breath, closed his eyes' and allowed the cold night air to sweep through his body. There were more important things to worry about than losing their foothold on this uneven landscape._

 _Taking another look at the two fallen witches, he tilted his head and frowned. He wanted to believe that they had run far enough to be out of harm's way. He wanted to pretend that everything, which had just transpired, was the product of a horrible nightmare. At this moment, the only thing he really wanted to do was have someone assure him that everything was under control and that he didn't have to worry about anything._

 _But that was impossible. After witnessing everything that had unraveled before his very eyes, it was a memory that he would not be able to forget. Ever._

 _Letting out a grunt, he shook his head and took a look over his shoulder. There were currently no signs of them. Good._

 _"Goyle," Pansy's voice croaked out, "why did we run all the way here?"_

 _Gregory curled his lips and stared at his former housemate in disbelief. Now, he knew that people called him dim and constantly questioned if anything even existed between his ears. He didn't blame them, there never was a reason for him to demonstrate his mental capacity in any shape or form. Well, he did have school material to try and prove himself, but his grades weren't of importance during his attendance at Hogwarts._

 _But did she not remember why they were retreating in the first place?_

 _"Uh..." he numbly replied back, trying to explain what they had just escaped from back at the small town._

 _"Why didn't we Apparate away or something?! We acted like a bunch of Muggles that were dead from the neck up! Let's just get away right now, shall we?"_

 _"No!" Lavender shouted out in a panicked tone._

 _"Oh right, I forgot you were with us for a second," Pansy replied, gripping her wand tightly while pointing it at the other female. "Goyle, why did you bring this slag with you?"_

 _"Uh..." Gregory didn't have a clear answer for her. What could he tell her? There was nothing he could say that would give her satisfaction. Too many things had occurred at once for him to properly even think about his actions. As soon as he saw Lavender, and then heard Pansy's cry, he reacted purely on instincts._

 _He grabbed both girls and ran out of there._

 _"Don't you guys know anything?"_

 _Pansy, flippantly ignoring her, placed her left hand against her hips and lightly tapped her wand at her mouth. "Hm, well, you probably wanted to use her as a sacrifice for the Dark Lord, right? So that he would give Draco another chance, right? And then after he does, maybe we can go look for him again!"_

 _Goyle stood perfectly still, allowing Pansy to go off tangent about the Malfoy heir. He knew that once she began to talk about him, it was difficult to stop her._

 _"...and I'm thinking of having four children. Two boys and two girls, of course, depending on the situation..."_

 _"We have to keep moving! The Evolved might find us at any second!"_

 _Pansy stopped monologuing and gave Lavender a deadpanned expression before turning her attention to Goyle and said, "Could you please remind that daft cow over there that we're witches? We can use magic to get out of here, duh!" Giggling, she then neatly brushed her hair aside and added, "Also, tell her not to interrupt me for something so stupid! I was in the middle of something important!"_

 _Lavender looked at her with an incredulous expression before replying, "Use magic while the Evolved are near? Have you completely lost the plot? The Evolved are these creatures that are..."_

 **(End Flashback)**

"Stop," Draco commanded him. "I already know what those things are, just hurry up and tell me what happens."

"A-alright," Goyle responded, furrowing his brows before going back to his story.

 **(Flashback)**

 _"I don't believe you," Pansy scoffed after listening to the explanation given to her about the vicious creatures. "Come on, Goyle, let's leave her and get back to base."_

 _Gregory knew for a fact that she had witnessed first-hand how those monsters were easily able to deflect any magic that was sent toward them before barreling towards the spellcaster, usually resulting in their death. That was one of the reasons he had to drag her out of the overrun village – the horrifying scene had frozen from taking any action._

 _An involuntary shiver went down his spine._

 _"Pansy, please! Stop being so stubborn! We need to leave before it's too late for us!"_

 _"What? I'm being stubborn? You're the one being stupid about this whole thing! Did you suddenly become a Squib or something? Even if you're right about this, I don't think those...things can follow us if we Apparate out, right?"_

 _"No!" Lavender shrieked out, scrambling to her feet before grabbing hold of Pansy's right arm. The two engaged in a brief struggle before they inadvertently went tumbling to the ground. Goyle did what he usually did in these circumstances – stand around and watch from a distance. However, in this particular case, his inaction would prove to be hugely detrimental to him and those around him._

 _"Ow! Get off me!"_

 _"No! You get off me!"_

 _"Uh..." Goyle opened his mouth to try and warn the girls that their impromptu wrestling match was leading them towards the river. But the only thing that came out was an unintelligent grunt, one that couldn't be interpreted properly even by those that were used to the nonsensical noises that gurgled from his mouth._

 _Seeing how dangerously close the two witches were getting to the rapids, he finally began walking over to try and stop the meaningless tussle._

 _"Hrgh..."_

 _It was a very low sounding growl, one that was barely audible enough for him to catch. After identifying the source of the bestial noise, he almost wished he was ignorant of it. Some parts off at a distance, Goyle was able to spot one of the grotesque, pale creatures approaching their resting location._

 _"Huh?"_

 _There were too many things to consider at this point for him to make the kind of decision that had 'Slytherin' written on it. Instead, Gregory did what he usually did when he found himself in this type of situation with no voice to guide his hand._

 _He let his body do the thinking for him._

 _He ran._

 _"Oof," Goyle grunted out, finding himself awkwardly falling flat onto the ground. He blinked a few times before his ears managed to pick-up a familiar voice._

 _..._

 _"Goyle! Let's leave!"_

 _The young man blinked a few more times and took a look at the speaker. Pansy was standing there with her hand to her hip and an impatient tapping of her foot. Although this was the norm for her, something about this was bothering him._

 _"Help! I can't swim!"_

 _"L-Lavender?" Goyle's eyes quickly scanned the river and found the aforementioned witch desperately clinging onto a boulder._

 _"H-help..."_

 _Even he could tell, with his limited mental capacity, that she wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. With how strong the current was pulling her towards the rapids and the slippery moss on the surface of the rocks, it was only a matter of time before she became a nameless victim of Mother Nature._

 _"Goyle!" Pansy snapped at him, bringing him out of his stupor. "Let's get going before that thing gets us!"_

 _The circumstances were perfect. He was given direct instructions from someone who he considered 'close' to Malfoy. This person was also a Slytherin and somewhat understood what kind of background he hailed from. With all that being said, the only thing he had to do was listen to her and everything would hopefully return to normal._

 _Then why was he still staring at Lavender?_

 _"I pushed her to the river so that those monsters would chase after her and buy us some time."_

 _Goyle blinked a few more times, drowning out the high-pitched voice of the nearby witch. He had no idea why he wasn't doing what Pansy had told him to do. There was absolutely no reason for him to be hesitating this much, but here he was, almost ignoring the command that was given to him._

 _Why?_

 _"I-I can't...aaah!"_

 _Goyle saw his former school mate finally lose her grip on the boulder and sink into the river. He felt his heart beat rapidly and his mind furiously pounding against his head. What was it that he was feeling? Why wasn't he able to think straight? Better yet, why couldn't he focus on anything at all? All he had to do was reach out, grab Pansy, and leave the area._

 _"Goyle? Goyle?! Where are you going? Why are you- Goyle! Get back heeereeee!"_

 **(End Flashback)**

Once Goyle was finished recounting his memory, the only thing Draco could do was stare back in utter disbelief. He didn't want to believe it at first, choosing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But with such damning evidence staring him in the face, there was no other way around it.

What could he say at this point? What was there to say?

Tilting his head, the blonde stared at his former house mate for a few more seconds, allowing the heavy, awkward silence to permeate the space between them. The tension became thick enough to where he wagered that he could cut a _**Diffindo**_ through it. Draco finally leaned forward before growling in a low voice,

"You chose an outsider over a Slytherin?"

Gregory winced before stuttering back, "Y-you don't understand..."

Draco jumped up and pressed his face right on top of Goyle's before hissing at him. "Try me...I dare you."

The blonde waited to hear whatever pathetic excuse would crawl out from his lips. A few seconds passed with Goyle offering nothing other than a morose and contrite expression. The longer he received this 'no answer', the thinner his patience became. Curling his uninjured hand into a fist, he tightened his fingers to the point where his nails were digging into his palms and his knuckles had turned white.

"I-I'm sorry..."

 _Thwack!_

The sound of flesh meeting flesh was dully squelched by the old wooden foundation of the manor. Draco angrily stared at his former house mate, ignoring the throbbing sensation coming from his hand. He slowly walked over to where Goyle had fallen and lowered himself to a squat-like position.

"You're bloody lucky I'm not using any spells or I would've _**Crucio**_ ' _ **d**_ you here for that despicable admittance."

After coughing a few times, Goyle wordlessly rolled to his back, heaving out a heavy sigh.

Draco was shocked at himself when he felt the anger drain out from him. He had thought that it would take another hit or two, some snide insults, and a traditional Slytherin-discussion to settle this affair. However, after throwing the punch, his emotions were all but muted, leaving him feeling disoriented and empty. Not knowing how to proceed after this, the blonde numbly stared at the ground. His eyes were hazy and unfocused, with his mind drawing a complete blank.

The two wallowed in their own self-reflecting breaths.

* * *

"...and then, a giant light just came over me!"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes when she heard Lavender put the finishing touch to her absurd story. Even if she were to temporarily suspend her disbelief, there were just too many holes in the story for it to make any sense. How was it possible that a giant ball of light could suddenly transport her from the walls of Hogwarts to this desolate island? Also, why was she alone in the first place? Then there was the fact that she had glossed over meeting Goyle somewhere in her story.

Still, she was aware of what the other witch was trying to do and was glad for this moment of levity.

Playfully slapping Lavender on the arm, Hermione responded back, "I'm glad to see you doing pretty well."

While the narrative that Lavender attempted to craft was inconsistent and filled with holes, her overall appearance was still somewhat consistent with how Hermione last remembered her. There were only a few cosmetic changes that really stood out to her.

For one, Lavender wasn't sporting her usual neat, curled up blonde locks any longer, but instead had them straightened out. Her hair wasn't styled with the usual care and flair to it, but given the limited resource and circumstance, she figured that it couldn't be helped.

The other was that she didn't have her face caked with the usual colorful palette of make-up. This normally wouldn't have been a point of contention if it wasn't for the fact that Lavender looked radically different. Her complexion was completely pale, with all of her flaws and blemishes being visible. There was also the fact that, while she gave off a cheerful demeanor, her eyes seemed really...flat, almost lifeless.

Hermione figured that it was just the stress of the situation setting into her former house mate.

"Sorry about this, I haven't had any time to tidy the place up, and well, couldn't find anything more fashionable to wear, you know?" Lavender crossed her legs and tucked a loose bang behind her earlobe before dusting off the sleeve of her dark-grey robe. Letting a light smile grace her face, she then said, "Oh my gosh! So, like, how's Parvati? I really hope she's still keeping up with the fortune readings, Merlin knows I couldn't do any of it."

There it was, the false pretense of a cheerful and playful attitude, all hidden behind meaningless banter that the other witch was attempting. Normally, she wouldn't have been able to detect such a thing, but...Hermione had been this girl's roommate for the past six years! While Hermione would never claim to be that close to her or anything, there were a few nuances that she had managed to pick up concerning Lavender.

Her demeanor being one of them. Because of her somewhat bubbly and carefree personality, her body language usually matched the words that came out from her mouth. If the two were not in-sync with each other, then it meant that something was bothering her.

Just like this instance.

However, the topic that was bothering Lavender could range anywhere from the color of her nails to the ongoing war. There really was no point in trying to guess what it was.

Hermione decided to ignore it for the moment and replied back, "Hm...I remember seeing her at Hogwarts and-"

"Oh! How's everyone else at school?"

"W-well um..." Hermione had momentarily forgotten the pace at which her former roommate conversed. The girl had absolutely no problem jumping from one topic to the next. "So, to answer your first question-"

"Oh, and is the war still going on outside? I mean, like, is it safe out there now?" Lavender asked, giggling a bit while clapping her hands together. "It's like...you know, I haven't really gone outside, not since I came here with my sweet little Gregory~"

Sweet little Gregory? This was certainly something she didn't expect from Lavender. While Hermione couldn't claim to know the exact sort of guys that she liked, she was certain that Goyle couldn't be one of them. Yet here she was, inadvertently proving her wrong and being a contrarian of what she had previously established.

Or was it? Maybe she didn't know her classmate as much as she thought she did. Why was she focused on this in the first place? There was something much more important at hand here.

"How long have you been here?" Hermione asked her, turning her attention back to the conversation.

"Um..." Lavender pursed her lips and shifted her eyes to the side. "Um, well...don't laugh, okay? But like, you know when the Death Eaters invaded Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded.

"I think it was like um...after that?" The dirty blonde haired witch scrunched up her nose before giving off a shrug. "All I know is that there's some monsters outside and being told by Professor McGonagall that the Headmaster's dead."

Hermione blinked a few times before asking, "Really? That's it? I mean...there's been a lot of things that's happened since then...and..."

The brown-haired witch saw the other girl nonchalantly shrug at the comment. There was something off about the timeline here, and for some reason Lavender didn't want to reveal it. The monsters that she was talking about were the Evolved, right? To the best of her knowledge, those creatures didn't come into existence until much later in the war. With that being said, her claim on both how she arrived on this isolated plain and the amount of time that she had been here were false.

Just what could she be hiding?

Hermione frowned at the notion that Lavender was boldly lying right to her face. She wanted to chalk this up to the stress of the war and being forced into an unknown and uncomfortable situation. Normally, she would've given her the benefit of the doubt and tried her best to make the other girl feel better. However, something was stopping her from doing so, making her hold some suspicions towards Lavender.

This made her halt her mind for a second. Since when did she start becoming so cynical? Where was the trust that she used to have in people?

Letting out a small sigh, Hermione rubbed the temples of her forehead before saying, "Look Lavender, could we stop this already?" Shaking her head, she put her hand on the other girl's arm, "Sorry, but it's just...we've been through so much and I guess I'm still trying to make sense of everything."

"Oh!" Lavender scooted closer to Hermione before enveloping her in an embrace. "I totally understand what you mean by that, Hermione!"

The hug felt stiff and cold. Another oddity and change from the usual template of Lavender Brown.

"Seriously though!" Lavender huffed, puffing out her cheeks a bit. "You should try and like, take it easy, you know? I'm sure that your boyfriend wouldn't mind it if you, you know, calmed down just a little bit."

"W-what?!" Hermione squeaked out, gently pushing the girl off while feeling her face lightly tint. "What boyfriend?! Ron? He's not here with me! And also, he's not my boyfriend!"

Rolling her eyes while playfully swiping at her arm, Lavender replied, "Oh hush! You're really going with the innocent girl act here, with me? Really? We've known each other for how long and you're still trying to hide something from me?"

"Huh?" Hermione asked in genuine confusion. "Hiding something from you? What are you talking about?"

"Really now?" Lavender responded back, shaking her head. "We're in the middle of nowhere with just the two of us in this house." Pausing for a second, she placed her right index finger on her lips and shrugged. "Well, four, if you count our two boys in the other room. But, still, it's just us here, so like, you don't really have to worry about people judging you, you know?"

"I still don't get what you're talking about." The brown-haired witch bit her lower lip and blinked a few times. "If this is about the matters between Ron and me, then that's none of your business and completely private!"

"That's a weird way to put it."

At this point, Hermione felt as though she had completely lost track of the conversation. She tried her best to pick a point and steer it back to where it made sense, but to no avail. Lavender continued to make not-so subtle hints about something concerning her relationship until she couldn't take it any longer.

"What are you talking about?!" Hermione finally snapped at the other witch.

"What am I talking about?" Lavender giggled then looked back at her with a 'you-know-what-I-know' type of smirk. "Basically, it's about you having a nice, homely guy waiting for you back at Hogwarts. Yet, here you are, traveling with the Malfoy heir _and_ Slytherin hottie, Draco."

Scooting closer to Hermione, Lavender nudged her a few times with her elbow before saying, "I bet that with all those explosive arguments and fights you two had, your shagging sessions were probably just as intense, right? Right? Right?"

Hermione stared at the girl with complete shock on her face. Out of all the possibilities that she could've dreamt of, that was the last one on her list. She and Malfoy? Out of all people, Malfoy?

Malfoy?

The very thought of her even being in any sort of intimate situation with him just boggled her mind. It was so foreign and bizarre to her that her brain refused to properly process this information. Of course, during this mental fiasco, she was looking at Lavender, utterly speechless from what had just been said.

"Good going!" Lavender gave her a congratulatory thumbs up. "Now that I get a good look at him again, I have to say, I can't blame you for dumping Ron for Draco."

"What?" Hermione asked, baffled by the strange conclusions that the other girl was jumping to from seemingly nowhere.

"Oh Merlin, yes!" The dirty blonde haired witch exclaimed, flailing her legs in the air while squealing to herself. "I mean, just imagine that slick seeker body coming out from the dark corners of the hallway with that dangerous, edgy look on his face."

"I-I..."

"I mean, I could only imagine the amount of sexual frustration and tension that just...was boiling between the two of you!" Lavender sighed and looked off dreamily to the side. "Of course, even with all this hate that you guys love to show one another, I bet like, secretly, you two have this like, secret romance or something, right? Even now, I bet you can't wait to have some alone time with him so that you two can fuck each other's brains out, right?

Hermione could only blush at what she was hearing and did her best to cover her face with her hands and responded, "N-no...I would never, at least not with-"

Lavender merely raised one of her eyebrows at the weak denial that was coming from her friend and rolled her eyes before saying, "Yeah yeah, I get it, you hate Malfoy, he's whatever, yes, blah blah blah." Leaning in really close to Hermione, she then dropped her voice and asked her, "So, is he any good, and how big is he?"

It was at this point that Hermione desperately wished that she was able to use magic. Just so that she could create a gigantic hole underneath herself so that she could disappear into it. Either that, or to shut her up from embarrassing her any further.

"It's like, you know, I could totes imagine, like, after traveling around and stuff, and you two getting into all those super dangerous situations, and then like, arguing over all the stuff you guys usually do, and then boom!" Lavender stretched her arms in an exaggerated motion and then looked back at Hermione. "Or could he be more of a considerate lover? Like, is he very gentle with you? Does he like, hold you and cuddle you a lot and stuff afterwards?"

"Lavender!"

"Is he big? Thick? Both? Come on! Spill! I mean, it's been like, forever, since I talked to another girl, you know?" She let out a small sigh before hunching over and giggling, "Well, you see how big my sweet Gregory is, right? So, like, yeah, it's true about what they say about how size does matter. Although, my only complaint is probably that like, he's way too careful with me, and like, doesn't know how to use it! At all!"

Lavender stomped her feet on the ground, crossed her arms, gave a small pout, and continued, "I mean, come on! I wouldn't mind it at all if he would just grab my hair and-"

"Could you stop it already?!" Hermione finally snapped at her. "First of all, ew, gross, I don't wanna hear anymore of what went on between you and him, or what you want to do. And secondly, Malfoy and myself? Never! Never, ever, ever, ever, alright? Seriously, why would you even...no! No way!"

The blonde-haired witch tilted her head and looked at Hermione with a curious expression. "Well, okay, then if that's true, then how come you're traveling with him? Shouldn't you be with Ron and Harry?" Scratching her head, she added, "Where are they? I mean, now that I think about it, I'm totally shocked by not seeing either of them anywhere around here."

"I...um..." Hermione bit her lower lip and turned her gaze downwards, unable to meet Lavender's eyes. "It's complicated, and I can't really tell you too much about the circumstances surrounding this strange _partnership_ I have with Malfoy." Before she could stop herself, she blurted out the next statement.

"But I know that I can trust him with my life."

Hermione blinked a few times, surprised that she was able to utter those words and not have the urge to wince. No, this didn't mean that she had suddenly developed some sort of 'secret romantic interest' in the Malfoy heir like Lavender had fantasized. This was more akin to her being able to trust her temporary partner to ensure her safety.

"So...you can't stand him, but you can trust him?" Lavender asked with a coy look on her face.

"Look Lavender." Hermione quickly took control of the conversation before the other girl could steer it to a whole different absurd level. "I just need to know if there's a way off this strange island."

Lavender's face suddenly became downcast, with her messy bangs coming down, effectively curtaining off the rest of her face. "...okay," she finally muttered in a low voice. "Granger, how much do you know about the recent changes?"

Hermione noticed the sudden shift in both the girl's tone and the way she was being addressed. This was certainly an unexpected development from her former dormmate. From what she recalled, Lavender wasn't able to go from her usual bubbly self to the opposite spectrum of the emotion scale. At least, not without there being a huge dramatic ruckus to accompany it.

Perhaps she was overthinking things? It was impossible to tell at this point. Still, she had to push these extraneous thoughts to the side for the moment. There were much more important things to resolve.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione responded, "You mean, aside from those monsters called the Evolved? Well, I saw some bizarre things, such as creatures that were emulating forms of some of the beasts that we should be able to recognize, but watching them interact, it was clear that they were anything but normal. Then there are also the weird phenomena that I've experienced...and I can't really explain how any of them happened, at least not with the usual compendium of theories that we were taught at Hogwarts."

"I think there's something wrong with our world," Lavender softly said through the thick curtains of her hair.

"Well, yes, I do suppose having anomalies such as the Evolved running around would be considered-"

"Everything's falling apart, Granger!" Lavender blurted out in a panicked voice.

"Look," Hermione said in an even tone, "I know that the war's quite devastating and things look really bleak. But trust in Harry and everything will turn out fine, and then slowly but surely our world should revert to what it once was."

Lavender shook her head and replied, "No, that's not what I meant at all." Grabbing Hermione by the arm, she continued, "After settling down and getting some kind of routine going here, I've had plenty of time to myself. I mean...it's just that, there's only so much I can do with Greggy-poo before, you know..."

' _Greggy-poo?'_ Hermione bit her lip, knowing that interrupting her now would result in another weird discussion.

"Well, so like, I've been poking around a bit, and then like, um..." Lavender paused, scratching the back of her head. "So, have you noticed how sometimes, like, you seem to be in this one place one second, and then you go there, and then, like, you're somewhere else the next?"

Hermione knew exactly what she was talking about. This was one of the odd instances that she had experienced but was unable to properly explain. The event that immediately came to mind was how she went from the Hogsmeade sewer system to this strange, uncharted island. If Lavender was talking about the same peculiarity, then perhaps she also had an idea of what was happening.

"Or like, when you go to another place, and then like, for some reason, it feels like it's a whole different place when all you did was just walk somewhere, you know?"

The gates that surrounded the manor.

"Okay, so well, here's the thing. I've been walking around and trying to see if there's like, anything else weird going on, right? Well, after going here, there, and just about everywhere, I think I've got some kind of theory on this stuff."

Blinking a few times, Lavender rubbed the back of her head and let out a nervous laugh. "W-well, it's not like I really have anything to prove it being right or wrong or anything, alright? It just seems right, okay?"

Hermione could only roll her eyes at this statement. "That was only one time! You were so insistent on that transmogrification working, and I was really suspicious about your theory behind it. It's why I asked you all those questions concerning it, and I was right to do so. In class, when you tried to present it to Professor McGonagall, what happened?"

This time it was Lavender's turn to blush.

"I had my reasons to be worried about it."

"Still..." Lavender bit her lower lip and slightly pouted before saying, "Promise you won't do the same thing here?"

Sighing, she did the only thing she could do – agree.

"Okay! So, as I was saying, like, you know the barrier that exists for places like platform nine and three-quarters? Well, I-I think they're being formed all around the world now."

This left her speechless. She had to admit, at least initially, that she had thought Lavender would lavish her with another outlandish story. However, after listening to the girl's thoughts, she couldn't help but be impressed by them.

"That's...wow, that actually sounds quite plausible, now that I think about it. That could possibly explain some of the phenomena that I've come across in my travels with Malfoy. But that still doesn't tell me some of the other things I saw like the sighting of technology, or the creatures called the Evolved, or..."

"Um...that's nice and all, but I really don't know what you're talking about, and like I said, it's just something I came up with while I was exploring the area."

Hermione suddenly stood up from her chair. "So, wait, hold on...are you insinuating that there might be a way off of this island?"

"Well...um...I mean..." Lavender looked away from Hermione's stare. "I-uh...we, it's just...we thought about trying it but like, after seeing weird things happen here too, we kind of didn't do it anymore. Since it kind of seemed a bit too dangerous at that point."

* * *

"Ugh, what in Salazar's name?!" Draco spat out, coughing from the burning sensation he felt in his chest. "I thought this was Firewhiskey, this tastes like utter bullocks."

Draco let out a sigh before tiredly slamming the green glass bottle onto the ground and leaning his back against the uneven wall. It wasn't an ideal situation for his posture, especially with his butt flat down against the cold, hard floor of the room. However, he had just finished clearing up the misunderstanding between himself and Goyle.

The blonde turned his head and spat out the lingering blood from his mouth. It tasted acidic. He took another gulp of the alcohol.

Goyle simply shrugged, took a drink from his red bottle, and responded, "It's a Muggle-brand. If you don't want it, then you don't gotta drink it."

"Shut up," Draco replied, taking another sip from the not-Firewhiskey before coughing from the bitter aftertaste. "I don't know why I keep drinking this."

"You don't need to keep drinking it..."

"And you don't have to repeat yourself," Draco said, bringing the green bottle to his lips. Right when he was about drink the liquid, he stopped and began laughing at a sudden realization.

"Wh-what's so funny?"

"You know, if Pansy ever finds you, then you're totally fucked."

Draco smirked when he saw his childhood friend avoid all eye contact with him and instead choose to look up at the ceiling. Even if he didn't acknowledge it, just the fact that Gregory was silent informed him that the matter still weighed heavily on his mind.

He hoped that the guilt ate away at him.

"For all the faults that she has, there's a reason she was put in Slytherin, and it wasn't just because of her family's alignment either."

"Hmph," Goyle snorted, shaking his head. "Could've fooled me."

The blonde was slightly caught off guard by the snarky comment. Had Gregory always felt this way about Pansy? Was that why he ultimately chose that Gryffindor over a Slytherin? Perhaps there was more to this story than he was willing to tell? He knew he wasn't going to get these questions answered any time soon.

Taking another sip from the green bottle, Draco raised an eyebrow before answering back, "Don't you remember just how obsessed she can get? Especially when it comes to the things that she wants? She'll go to any lengths for them."

Neither individual said anything, each opting to wallow in their own thoughts for a while. The only thing breaking the silence was the occasional sipping of the alcohol, or their hard, laborious breathing. Draco closed his eyes and thought about the different topics he could approach this situation with. He took another sip from the green bottle, glanced over at Goyle, and grinned.

"So, Lavender huh?"

It was a rather brute force method with which he changed the subject, but he figured that it was a much needed one. When he saw a small smile appear at the corner of Gregory's lips, he knew that his old childhood acquaintance had received the hidden message loud and clear.

In a clearly amused voice, Goyle replied, "So, Granger, huh?"

Draco jerked his head back in shock, completely caught off guard by the response. "Wait, what...what?! Her? Granger? Have you gone completely mental?"

"Maybe," Goyle shrugged, taking a sip from his red bottle. "I mean, there are times when you tend to do things you can't explain, you know?"

"Yeah, I know that all too well," Draco sneered. "Doing things that I normally wouldn't and not being able to say why I did it."

"At first I didn't know why...I mean, I helped her escape from the Death Eaters, shielded her from the Evolved, and made sure she was safe from all the other dangerous stuff that we came across, you know?"

Draco took a deep breath, closed his eyes and took another sip from the green bottle. The taste was becoming more bearable. It was half empty.

"I...I don't care about the war anymore," Goyle said in a much more quiet and somber tone. "I don't care about the outside, I don't care about who's right or wrong, or anything anymore. The only thing I want is for her to be happy now."

The stuff he was hearing from Gregory was downright asinine. Had he really changed that much in the short time they were away from each other, or was this something that was innately within him? Sure, there were some people that Draco tried to please, but that was only because it held an advantageous position to do so. To pine after another person due to some sort of emotional connection was totally asinine. Completely Un-Slytherin.

"B-before the war, I was just another kid who did whatever I was ordered to do. If everything stayed the same as before, th-then, even if the war was over, no matter who won, I would've gone back to being the same old Gregory Goyle."

Draco rested his back against the wall, listening to his former housemate ramble.

"B-but here? In here?" Goyle continued to say, drawing in a shaky breath. "I mean something to somebody, and it's just me and her. That means for once, someone actually needs me and they see me as m-more than just...it feels nice. So, I-I don't care what you think, I'm gonna just stay here and take care of my girl, and we'll be happy here together."

Unfortunately for Gregory, Draco had zoned out through the entire passionate monologue, effectively missing out on most of it. The combination of his body resting and alcohol circulating through his blood was enough to dull his senses and lull him to sleep. It was only after he caught himself nodding off that he managed to catch the question that was posed to him.

"Y-you're the same way, right? With her? Granger?"

The blond carefully picked up the green bottle and deliberately drank the alcohol at a slower pace. He needed some time to reorient himself and organize his thoughts before he spoke. If Gregory knew that he wasn't paying attention at all, then either he would repeat the whole thing again or get extremely depressed.

He had to tread carefully here.

"Oh yeah, you don't have to remind me," Draco said, putting the beverage down onto the floor. "I have to travel with Granger to all sorts of ridiculous places, and I also have to make sure that she's protected at all times." Letting out a sigh, he shook his head and mumbled in a low voice, "Worst of all, I can't tell you why I'm doing all this."

He saw Goyle nod in agreement, before watching him unbuttoning the front of his grey robe, revealing a nondescript, fading maroon shirt. At first, Draco felt some relief when he saw Goyle nod at his explanation, glad to get that particular misunderstanding out of the way. However, it was short-lived when he realized that his childhood partner might be in the same situation as himself. If that was the case, then there was more to the story than he was willing or able to share. This could also explain his strange obsession with the witch, Lavender – she had taken his role in Goyle's mind!

Sighing, the blonde took another swig from the green bottle and frowned when he found it empty. Even though he had been complaining about it, the drink had strangely grown on him. Muggles really were weird.

"Tell me how to get out of this place," Draco said, finally addressing his main concern. Initially, he had wanted to stay a little longer and outline a plan with Goyle. But their recent conversation had told him everything he needed to know.

"C-could you hand me the bottle? Babe-I mean, Lavender doesn't like the place getting dirty, you know?"

Even when he was asking a question, Goyle just had to mention the other witch. Draco pursed his lips and glowered at the other individual. It irked him to know that he had been promptly ignored when he had previous asked about the condition of the room. But he was acting in a manner which best suited the other girl's preferences! Watching him in such a pitiful state only further solidified his determination in leaving this Merlin forsaken place as soon as he could. If his childhood friend wanted to stay here and continue to rot away, then that was his choice.

" _I still have a job to finish and a family name to carry, I can't quit here."_ Draco doubled down on his resolve and took a deep breath. Picking up his bottle, he faced it upside down to find a few remaining drops falling to the floor. What a waste.

"What in Salazar's name is that?" the blonde asked, staring at the dull yellow bracelet that Goyle had taken out from his robe. Draco took a second to look at the nondescript ornament and frowned. There was something about this particular trinket that niggled at the back of his brain. However, no matter how much he tried, he wasn't able to put his finger on the reason.

"O-oh, this thing?" Gregory responded, gently rubbing it between his index finger and thumb. "Lavender gave it to me."

So the bracelet wasn't anything special. Perhaps he was getting stressed over this whole ordeal and he just needed some rest. Yes, the prospect of getting a bit more rest sounded quite enticing.

"Sh-she gave it to me when..."

Draco tilted his head and gave his former dormmate a quizzical look. Goyle had mysteriously stopped mid-sentence and was currently staring at the wall. While this in of itself wasn't an unusual occurrence, his eyes were a different matter. Usually when this happened, they would have a more defined and focused feature to them. However, his childhood friend was holding a vacant and empty expression, almost as though he was absent from his own mind.

It couldn't possibly mean _that_ could it?

"Goyle? Goyle!"

"Huh?" The aforementioned wizard numbly blurted out. "A-anyways, if you're done with it, could you pass me the bottle? Ba-I mean, Lavender doesn't like the place getting dirty."

"You alright there, Goyle?" the blonde asked. "You just repeated the same thing to me."

"I-I did?"

This was disconcerting to say the least. Gregory might be dim and slow, but his memory wasn't this bad. Something was going on here, but he couldn't afford to halt his own agenda just to solve this issue. It could be something big, or it could be nothing at all.

Draco decided to act in his own interest and leave it alone. The sooner he escaped from this isolated manor, the sooner he could get back to getting his own life in order. He didn't need to make things more complicated by personally becoming involved with others. That was a mistake he already had made with Granger, he wasn't going to make the same one twice.

"Here." Draco let out a small yawn before lazily rolling the empty green bottle at his childhood friend. He figured that this was a good time to end the conversation and get a good night's rest. Even if he wanted to continue the discussion, his body was urging him to get some much-needed sleep.

"Hey Goyle..."

"Sleep on the couch," Gregory grunted out, getting up to his feet. Throwing an old, red cushion onto the sofa, he added, "I'll be back later, I'm gonna go check something."

The blonde decided not to press the issue and allowed Goyle to leave the room without much protest. He would worry about that later, for now he was going to do something he hadn't been able to do since his frantic escape from Hogwarts - get a good night's sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Following chapter to be here soon. At this point, I doubt I'll be getting much people reading or reviewing this thing but eh...I'll continue writing it. Until next time.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I highly doubt that this story will ever gain enough popularity for JK Rowling to come down and try to strike it with the lawsuit hammer. So, I'll just boldly state that everything that I've written here is completely by my own free will.

* * *

 **Story Note:**

"I'm not getting anywhere near that door," ~ Dialogue

 _...and then she went over to the other side of the white tunnel._ ~Flashback

'What a bloody, incompetent fool,' ~inner dialogue

 _ **Stupify!**_ ~Spells

 **Bang! Smack! ~** Onomatopoeia

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A few points I would like to point out for the reader to be cautious of here. So, there's been a few slight tweaks in the story. First of all, the italicized text have been allocated to indicate a complete flashback, whereas the singular apostrophe now denotes the use of a person talking to themselves.

Now, allow me to address something that has been brought to my attention. Try to put yourself in either Hermione or Draco's shoes. Remember, they have HATED each other's guts for the entirety of their stay at Hogwarts, and they accepted that neither individual would ever be able to tolerate the other. They never had the need to, even in the books. So, imagine being thrust into a life-or-death situation, and it's presented to them against their free will. Do you REALLY think that anything, never mind romance, can come out of this? Logically speaking?

So, in fear of spoiling anything, all I'm going to say on this subject is to be patient. Go through these trials and tribulations with them. Watch them evolve and actually go through a character arc and ultimately end up where they will (I think?) Like I said in the first chapter, if anyone's looking for the usual Dramione trope, then this isn't the right story for you.

Now, without further ado, the next chapter!

* * *

 **Closer Look** : Hermione

I wonder how much time passed since I arrived at this isolated manor? A day or two? Maybe a week? Could it even be a month?

No, I don't think the last one is a possibility.

It's truly amazing how many concepts we, as people, take for granted until they aren't readily accessible to us. I tried asking Lavender about this, and about how she was able to keep track of the time.

The clueless look she gave me, followed by her nonchalant shrug, was more than enough to tell me that I had unnecessarily raised my expectations.

Still, I did try my best to make myself useful in this bad situation and went exploring around the manor – or at least, I tried. Lavender did warn me not to go back downstairs and to always stay on the second floor. She didn't have to tell me twice, I don't plan on going back there anytime soon.

I've spotted a few windows in the manor, but each time I look outside, I see the same scenery over and over again. The uneven gray barrier that surrounds the manor, preventing 'unwanted' intruders from entering the premise, and a dull orange horizon that seems to stretch across the plains.

I tried to look beyond the gate, but for some odd reason, I can't see anything past the sky. You would think I'd at least be able to see the forest, since it's right next to this building. Maybe even see the sky get dark with the earth revolving around the sun. But nope!

It's the same no matter what I try. There's more to this place than meets the eye, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey Hermione, you awake?"

It's Lavender and I pretty much know what she's going to ask me at this point. The routine is simple and unchanging. She politely enters the room and asks me the aforementioned question, which is a not-so subtle way of her telling me to give her some privacy.

Privacy for what?

Well, Goyle usually follows right in after her, and if I'm not out of the room by this time, then he usually stares at me. It's really awkward when he does so, since both of us know what's about to happen, yet neither of us wants to address it.

But really, what could I say about it?

The first time they kicked me out to do their little routine, they didn't tell me what they were going to do. They didn't have to, and I wish I never discovered what they did either. The moment I opened the door, a very pervasive scent greeted my senses, more specifically – my nostrils. I don't think there's a proper vernacular for what I smelled. The best way I could describe it is a rancid mixture of old sweat and a pungent layer of heavy musk.

It got worse when I actually entered the room. This nauseating smell lingered in the air, with most of it emanating from the other two naked occupants. The whole thing could've been swept under the proverbial rug if my intrusion was ignored. Of course, Goyle, being his usual dense self, promptly asked me something inappropriate.

I forgot what he said, but it magnified the awkwardness that I felt about the whole situation. Lavender merely rolled her eyes and cuffed him on the back of his head. It didn't exactly resolve the issue, but it was good enough to break the tension and give me an excuse to leave the two alone.

That only happened the first time. Now? I just really wish they could put some clothes on before I enter the room. I'm 100, no, 1000% sure that they're doing this on purpose just to get a reaction out of me. At this point, I'm just annoyed at them.

Well, it looks like Lavender is finally in the mood to talk.

* * *

"So, what do you feel like doing today, Hermione?" Lavender asked, stretching her arms into the air.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her former dormmate's indifferent attitude toward her current state of attire, or lack thereof. "Here." Hermione tossed the girl her underwear. "Make yourself decent so that I can open the door and circulate some fresh air into the room."

"Or I could just, you know, stay like this, right?"

"Lavender!" Hermione hissed, doing her best to look cross with the other witch. "There's other people in this place, more specifically, boys!"

This time it was Lavender who rolled her eyes before answering, "Please! Me and Greggy have been shagging each other for a while now, he's seen me naked plenty of times, you know?" Leaning over, she added in a low, coy voice, "Or could you mean Malfoy?"

"Lavender!" Hermione shouted, feeling a slight blush creep up to her face.

"What's the matter? I mean, you told me that you two weren't together, right? So then what's wrong with me taking Malfoy for a ride?" Letting out a sigh, she crossed her legs and placed her elbows on them, then rested her chin on her right hand. "I mean, just think about it, right? Like I'm sure that he's got some needs, he's a boy too, right? If we have a go at it, then I don't have to be embarrassed, right?"

"L-Lavender!" Hermione squeaked out, becoming rather embarrassed by such lascivious implications. No, this couldn't even be considered innuendo, since Lavender had directly indicated her desires. She wasn't entirely sure why the thought of the other witch and Malfoy shagging each other was making her uncomfortable, but it was a scenario she hoped could be avoided.

The blonde-haired girl giggled. "You're so cute when you get jealous, Hermione."

Was she really feeling the effects of the green monster? If she were to assume that Lavender was correct, and that she was feeling apprehensive about this matter, then what would 'it' be? She was certain that there was no love lost between herself and Malfoy – if anything, they were still under the understanding that this partnership was more of a mutually beneficial one. Then what could it mean? There had to be a reason for the other girl to have made those comments.

This self-analysis was ultimately going nowhere.

The brown-haired witch let out a sigh and shook her head. This wasn't the time to be figuring out these odd emotions that Lavender always seemed to be able to pull out from her. She had to start having this conversation now, or they would meander into weird topics and go off-tangent again.

"...also, when you pout, you make this, like, little curve with the corner of your mouth, and it's, like, so cute!"

"Hey Lavender?" Hermione tried to muster up her best 'serious' face. "Why didn't you ever try to escape from this place?"

"Hm? Escape? We tri-ah...I mean, I don't know?" Lavender shrugged with an indifferent air about her. "Anyways, who cares! Enough about the boring stuff, Hermione! Now, wanna go and tease the boys again, or look for more of those incongruent matters, or whatever you were talking about before?"

This time, she didn't take the bait and refused to go along with the not so subtle change in topic. Tilting her head, Hermione bit her lower lip and squinted at her former dormmate. "Don't you want to leave? I mean, aren't you sick of being here, doing the same thing over and over again?"

Silence.

Followed by small bouts of uneasy, awkward laughter.

"Oh Granger," Lavender muttered while rolling her eyes. "Fine, wanna talk about that so badly? Let me tell you...you don't think I tried? Don't you think we would've tried? Well...I don't know about...anyways, I've tried at least! And it's like...we couldn't go past this one place!" Pausing for a second, she then shook her head. "No, that wasn't it, the problem was that something weird happened, and he got too scared to go any further, so we turned around and came back here...somehow."

Hermione was only able to understand about half of what was relayed to her. However, it was just enough for her to grasp the gist of what she was trying to tell her.

"Well, after that failed little run...I mean, since then, me and Gregory have been pretty much, you know, stayed here and just settled down."

"What..." Hermione stopped for a second, knowing that she had to tread carefully or she would be back to square one again. "What was it that made you guys turn around?"

Lavender furrowed her brows before shaking her head again. "I-I don't know, I couldn't see that clearly, it was kind of dark in there, you know? I mean...he saw something, and I-I guess it was enough for him to have us run away from there."

"Aren't you going to try again?" the brown-haired witch asked with a slight frown on her face. "Don't you want to see your friends and family again? Maybe it, whatever 'it' is, could possibly be gone by now, and we can try this again. Except this time, you'll have both Malfoy and me to help you two."

Hermione couldn't help but notice the way that Lavender had frozen up and had pulled herself into a tense position. For a second, she thought that her former roommate would end the discussion and sulk for the rest of the day. She was proven wrong when the other witch bit her lower lip and carefully shifted her eyes around the room before slowly responding back.

"I...I don't trust Goyle."

Taken aback by this sudden confession, Hermione rubbed her forehead and said, "Wait, what? Did you just say you didn't trust him?"

Lavender gave her an unperturbed look and shrugged before slipping a gaudy emerald bracelet around her wrist. The girl held out her hand and examined it for a few seconds before replying, "Doesn't this look gorgeous?"

"Yes, it does," Hermione answered back, wondering where she was going with this topic.

"Well, one time, both of us were, like, sneaking around and everything, right? So then, like, we came across this one old lady, and she was dead! Dying? Dead?" Lavender paused in her miniature anecdote and tilted her head sideways. "Anyways! Greggy spotted her just sitting there, and at first, I thought we were gonna ignore her and keep going, but, like, he saw this bracelet around her wrist and pointed to it."

Hermione couldn't help but sigh and follow up by asking, "And then?"

"Nothing! Like, that didn't make any sense to me, you know? Like, why point out something that pretty and then ignore it?"

The brown-haired witch shook her head. What could she realistically say that would appease the other girl? Not wanting to complicate things any further, she merely shrugged in response.

"Exactly!" Lavender cried out, throwing her arms up into the air. "It was a dying, old witch, and like, really, she wouldn't be needing it where she would be going. And, like, besides, I could totally wear it much better than she could. That's why I made him fetch it for me."

Hermione was speechless at this particular admission. She felt equally disgusted and horrified by the action taken by her peer.

"The worst part? She tried to grab me! Ugh..." Lavender stuck her tongue out and shook her head. "She had the audacity to drag me down with her! But she had no idea who she was dealing with."

Not wanting to listen to any more of this horrific tale, Hermione asked, "Well, what does that have to do with anything?"

"Oh, I don't know, nothing? Everything? I mean, like, who cares? Who could really love a brainless, idiotic Slytherin like him anyway?"

"Brainless and idiotic seems a bit redundant," Hermione mumbled under her breath.

"ANY ways!" The blonde-haired witch waved her hand in front of her face. "That's beside the point! I mean, I can't speak about your situation, but let's just say that if I don't have a certain...leverage to hold over him, then he'll probably dump me and leave me, right?!"

"Him...you mean Goyle, right?" Hermione blinked a few times and looked back at Lavender skeptically. "Are you sure? It looks to me that he really lo-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Lavender hissed in a low and threatening tone. "You have no right to assume anything, especially if you don't know what's really going on between me and him."

Hermione found this shift in attitude quite fascinating and at the same time horrid. For all the years she had been with Lavender, at least as a dormmate, the other witch had never displayed signs of acting in this manner. She could rattle off plenty of adjectives to describe her previous behaviors, but this?

This was certainly new.

Nodding, the brown-haired witch said, "You're right, Lavender, I shouldn't have made the assumption, and I don't know what's going on between the two of you. So then do you mind telling me so that I do know?"

A pause.

An awkward and silent pause that seemed to swirl and ebb like water, flowing around them and forcing them to breathe in it. The tension was quite thick, with a collective sense of expectation ready to burst at a moment's notice. Lavender's whisper was able to cut right through it.

"The reason for this distrust...is also the reason why I'm with Goyle in the first place." Drawing in a shaky breath, Lavender quietly bowed her head, allowing her long, blonde bangs to fall over her eyes. Her body then began to shake, almost as though it was convulsing from a curse. Finally, soft giggles could be heard coming from the corner of her lips – albeit muffled.

Hermione frowned and bit her lip before saying, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't catch the last part. What did you say again?"

Lavender slowly raised her head, revealing a mirthless smile on her face. Looking straight at Hermione, she told her in an oddly sweet, sing-song tone, "I killed Pansy Parkinson~" Once again, she began to giggle, but soon after the snickers turned into full-blown laughter. The cackles disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared, and the fickle witch lunged forward and desperately clutched onto Hermione's robe.

"I...I..." Lavender somberly stuttered, weakly dangling onto Hermione while gazing with empty pupils onto the floor. "You have to understand, I had to do it!" Shaking the brown-haired witch, she repeated in a tiny voice, "I had to."

Hermione looked over at the girl, wanting to say something, anything, to drag her out from the pitiful state. However, much to her surprise, she wasn't able to muster up anything empathetic to share. Yes, she could've deployed a few cliched phrases to falsely encourage Lavender, but something was stopping her.

"You're disgusted with me, right?" After a short pause, she shrieked out, "Right?!" At this point, Lavender's voice matched her body language – outright hysteria with no relief in sight.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione gently placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Could you tell me what happened? I promise I won't judge you or anything, alright?"

"Promise me..." Lavender mumbled in a barely audible voice.

Those two words made her stop for a second. What she wanted to do was form a pact so that there would be a basis of trust between the two of them. The main issue for her on this could all be summarized in one simple diction.

Why?

There were plenty of ways to ensure another person's cooperation, especially through means of magical oaths. So then why would Lavender suggest making an agreement based upon a person's words? If anything, she should've demanded that they create an unbreakable vow, or something similar to it. What was it that the other witch had experienced to cause her to react in such irrational, illogical ways, even for her?

Hermione drew in a sharp breath when her mind came to a startling realization. The reason for her recent feelings of discontent was Lavender's poor adjustment to her surroundings. For Merlin's sake! She had traversed across a village overrun by Death Eaters, survived multiple encounters with the Evolved, and had been forced to entrust her safety to her arch-nemesis. Nothing had gone according to plan, while every single thing that could go awry went horribly wrong.

This wasn't enough to break her spirit or make her quit.

"I promise," Hermione hesitantly replied before nodding her head.

"Well, this all started..." Lavender stopped and squinted her eyes. "Remember, you promised!"

The Muggle-born witch nodded.

"Goyle found me during a Death Eater raid, I think?" The blonde-haired female blinked a few times before nonchalantly shrugging. "So, I thought I was gonna, like, die or something, right? So instead, I made sure to cast tons of spells to attract some of those monsters, right?"

The only thing she could do was continue to move her head in confirmation.

"So, then, like, after that, I did my best to waste time so that at least those filthy Death Eaters would have to try and fight through against those nasty things. But then, like, what do you know? The person who came for me was none other than little Greggy-poo!"

Lavender bit her lower lip and rubbed her forehead before clapping her hands. "Oh yeah! And then Pansy was there too! For some strange reason, when she was running toward us, she didn't have her mask on...even though it was clear from the robes that she was wearing, that she had joined the Death Eaters."

' _I_ see...Pansy finally joined the Death Eaters, not much of a surprise, really _.'_ Hermione thought to herself.

"Anyways, I ran away with the two Death Eaters and we managed to get all the way to a river. It was far, like really, really far, so the three of us decided to rest there, right? And then what happened was that I got into an argument with Pansy."

Blinking a few times, Lavender shook her head. "No, it wasn't an argument, but more like a fight. I knew that if they were to Apparate away, then either they would take me with them and hold me captive, or the Evolved would quickly find me. So, I did the only thing I could do at that moment."

The blonde-haired witch took a deep breath and continued, "I grabbed hold of a nearby rock, smashed it over Pansy's head, and knocked her unconscious. Then I used a _**Confundus**_ on Goyle and finally jumped into the water." Smiling at this, she added, "So, like, basically, the charm would get Goyle to move away from Pansy, and at the same time, the monster would go near her, since I cast the spell around that area."

Another shocking revelation came around to hit Hermione, and this one had definitely blinded her. Rather than be disgusted with the information that was dispensed to her, she understood her former roommate's decision. She didn't condone the action by any stretch of the imagination, but she wasn't going to berate her for it.

Not when desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Yeah," Hermione said, lightly clasping the other witch's arms. "I think I understand the situation now."

Lavender released her grip, nervously glanced behind her shoulders, and whispered, "Also...do you really think that just because there's a war going on, people are gonna suddenly change?"

Hermione wisely kept herself from commenting.

"Granger." The blonde-haired female rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Don't forget that they were sorted into Slytherin for a reason. Just remember, they're just waiting for the right time to get rid of us! And they won't even think twice about doing it."

The Muggle-born witch watched her former dormmate pace around the room and thought about her own circumstance. While it was true that she and Malfoy had been able to survive against death-defying odds, none of this would've come to fruition if she had not insisted upon him pledging an oath to her. Because of the original nature of the volatile bond, she knew that once the conditions were met, the consequences would be devastating.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Hermione couldn't help but agree with the sentiments.

Lavender stopped in front of the brown-haired girl and scrunched her nose. Biting her lower lip, she gave a slight tilt to her head while adding a small smirk to the corners of her unpainted face. "But, even after allllll that, I've got a hundred percent plan to make sure that I'm always in control of this relationship." She suddenly stopped, blinked a few times, and directed her face away from Hermione. "Ah...I-I mean, well, that is, until we get back, of course!"

"Get back, huh?" The brown-haired female closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and asked, "Lavender, how are you so sure that this plan's going to work? You have to know that nothing in life is guaranteed, especially during these tumultuous times."

The only thing the other witch did in response was pat and rub her stomach, which only caused confusion to set in on Hermione. "Are you alright? Is something wrong with your belly?"

"No!" Lavender snapped back before shaking her head. "Yes! No! I mean...well, not what you think! Actually, it's..." Turning her face and eyes away from the other girl, she replied, "I'm carrying Goyle's heir."

Hermione felt her brain come to a complete halt. She knew what the implications here were, but she didn't want to make any assumptions. This was especially the case with news that was as big as this one.

"When you say that you're carrying his heir, you mean that you're..."

"Yep!" Lavender chirped back in a sing-song tone. "He got me preggers!"

The brown-haired witch simply looked at the other girl for a few seconds, staring at her in total disbelief. This was supposed to be one of those life changing experiences, and yet, she was acting so flippantly about the whole thing. Out of all people, Hermione thought that Lavender would be someone that would either act completely jubilant or downright hysterical, if they ever discovered themselves in this particular state.

This lack of a proper mindset had Hermione concerned. Becoming pregnant at such an early age wasn't something that a person flippantly mentioned, and yet, the only response she could see from Lavender was that of using it as blackmail material.

"So, all those times you two did it together, neither of you guys used protection?"

"Well, it's like this, um..." Lavender lightly scratched the tip of her nose while shifting her eyes around. "So, like, I pretty much managed to convince him to protect me and stuff by telling him that I really enjoyed getting it on with him."

Hermione decided to throw caution to the wind and moved onto her next inquiry.

"When do you plan on telling him?"

"Mmm..." The pregnant witch made a thinking motion for a second before nonchalantly shrugging. "We all need our hidden trump cards, right? Well, when things look really bad, or when I need something from him again, then I guess I'll mention it to him."

Hermione could only sigh and shake her head. "Fine, whatever happens between you and Goyle is none of my business."

"Well, of course!" Lavender poignantly replied. "What, you think you would've been able to change my mind?" She rolled her eyes at her own comment and playfully slapped the other girl's arm. "I just felt like telling you, that's all."

"I-I don't know anymore." Hermione cupped her face and groaned into her hands. "You know what? I don't care anymore, I just want to leave this place already. I need to get back to familiar grounds so that I can..."

The exasperated witch paused in the midst of her statement and found herself unable to continue, or did she not want to keep going? She considered the information she was about to divulge to her former dormmate and bit her lower lip.

"So that you can...?"

"S-sorry, Lavender," Hermione shook her head, "I can't really say much anymore."

"Oh?" the aforementioned girl responded with a hint of curiosity in her voice. "Let me guess, this has something to do with the blonde hottie, Draco, right?"

" _She just addressed Malfoy by his given name, right?"_ Hermione furrowed her brows and gave the other girl an awkward stare. Shaking her head, the brown-haired witch merely sighed before responding, "Sure, let's go with that."

There had been something bothering Hermione during her stay at the isolated manor, but it hadn't been a priority in terms of conversational topics. Should she ask it, despite not receiving all the answers to the questions that she had asked?

 **Bang bang bang!**

"Oh!" Lavender said, jumping from the sudden intrusive sound. "Looks like it's time for us to have fun again! Sorry, Granger, I've gotta fulfill his needs, you understand, right?"

Hermione simply nodded and began to walk out of the room. Just as she was about to reach for the doorknob, she felt her right shoulder getting tapped.

"Um...I'll try to ask him about that question you asked, you know, like, getting away from here, okay? You aren't busy later on, are you?"

The Muggle-born witch rolled her eyes and replied, "I think I'll have some free time to spare for you, Lavender."

"Great!" the other female replied before the door swung open, revealing a somewhat somber looking Goyle. Not wanting to interrupt their time together any longer, the bushy-haired girl politely excused herself out of the room.

Once she was a safe distance away from hearing anything bleed through the walls of the occupied room, Hermione let out a small sigh and plopped herself down onto the floor. Leaning back against the wooden wall, she heard the old foundation around her creaking loudly. At this point, she did the only thing she could viably do – ignore it.

Hermione gathered her legs together before pressing them against her body. She placed her head down onto her thighs and let out another exasperated breath. There wasn't much she was able to do, not when the only people that had the knowledge of getting off of this strange place were reluctant to even try. She could only hope that her recent talks with Lavender had some visible effect on her. Even with all that being said, the original timeline in completing the mission had been compromised.

"I wonder if they're still waiting for me, or if they think I'm dead," Hermione muttered to herself. "No, I have to trust McGonagall. Everything'll be alright once I get to the meeting place, just trust her and things will be back to normal."

* * *

"I'm finally here," Draco grumbled, stopping in front of the marked door. Letting out a sigh, he took a moment to look around before asking himself, "Why in Merlin's name am I the one doing this again?"

 _The blonde squinted at a page and muttered to himself. "Let's see...if I see a plant of this color, with this kind of characteristic, then it's probably not poisonous. Edible? I could use it as some kind of substitute for this potion later, I think? I'll try it once I have some free time..."_

" _We've got a small problem," Draco heard Goyle tell him in a hushed tone._

" _What?"_

" _We're about to run out of food."_

 _With a simple shrug of his shoulders, the blonde replied, "So? Then go get some more, you don't need my permission to do something as simple as that." Before he could turn his attention back to his notes, he felt a tap on his back. "What do you need now, Goyle?"_

" _I-I was thinking th-that maybe...you could do it for us?"_

" _What?" Draco snapped at the other wizard. "Have you gone completely mental? Do I look like a house-elf to you? Do I?"_

" _N-no." Gregory shook his head, then lowered it while mumbling, "Y-you're free right now, so I figured that...you know, you could do this for us."_

" _I'm going to ask you one more bloody time." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and asked while gritting his teeth, "Do I look like a moronic house elf to you? Besides, if you want something done, then ask that little bird of yours to do it. She should have more uses than being a pair of legs for you, right?"_

 _It all happened too fast for him to react properly. As soon as Draco had finished speaking, he found his back pinned against the wall and a furious looking Gregory staring back at him._

" _Don't you dare talk about her like that ever again, got it?"_

 _He found it extremely jarring that his childhood friend would go to such lengths for a girl that he simply fancied. While he still had a trump card up his sleeve, the blonde saw a potentially dangerous glint threatening to manifest itself in Goyle's pupils. Even if he could pull rank with the contract that their families had agreed upon, he strongly suspected that doing so would only lead to contempt and disorder. He decided to allow this transgression to pass, just this one time._

" _Fine, I won't. Now, get your filthy hands off of me!" Draco hissed, feeling the pressure being alleviated from his upper body. Coughing a few times, he stood back up, looked right at Goyle, and asked in an authoritative voice, "Why can't you do it?"_

 _There was a heavy air of implication laced all over the question he posed to his childhood friend. The tone was essentially a reminder of who was really supposed to be in charge. It managed to accomplish its intended effect, making Gregory fidget uncomfortably for a few minutes._

" _Babe...I-I mean...she might need me nearby, and um...since you're free, I was hoping, you know?"_

 _Neither of them bothered to mention the other witch that had been traveling with Draco._

" _Fine." The Malfoy heir begrudgingly accepted the responsibility. "What do I have to do?"_

" _Go down to the first floor and look for a door with a big 'X' on it, that's where all the cans of food're found."_

 _Draco let out a huge sigh and slowly began walking out when he heard Goyle shout out from behind him._

" _D-don't enter anywhere else! It's dangerous!"_

Draco rubbed the back of his neck and scowled after remembering the exact details of how the previous event unfolded. "Well, next time I want some private shagging time, I'll make sure to hang this over his head," he mumbled under his breath.

The task in of itself wasn't all too difficult since the instructions that he was given were quite clear. What did give him pause were the other surrounding rooms. All of the doors were slightly ajar. He remembered the strange incident involving Granger and couldn't help but wonder what sort of secrets were held inside each room. While he had been warned against doing any extraneous exploration, his curiosity began to get the better of him.

What could possibly exist to have the bloody Mudblood react in such a queer manner? The possibilities ranged from the daft girl becoming temporarily mental to having some type of spell placing a hold on her. Judging from the current circumstance, he was betting on it being more of the former rather than the latter.

It wouldn't hurt to take a peek at one of the rooms, would it? What's the worst possible scenario that could happen?

"Goyle was fine when he came down here, so I shouldn't have much of a problem, right?" Draco muttered in a low voice. He wasn't entirely sure why he made those words audible, there wasn't a person within earshot distance to hear him. Still, if nothing else, it did help assuage some of the lingering doubts that were nagging at the back of his mind.

Taking a deep breath, he tentatively walked over to the adjacent room and reached over and grabbed the doorknob.

* * *

"What do I do about the plan?" Hermione sighed and lazily splayed her upper body onto the wooden table. It felt cold and unnerving. For a brief second, the idea of the entire ordeal being a figment of her dreams seemed quite plausible. She entertained the notion of waking herself up with one of the more extreme methods.

"If only it was that easy." The Muggle-born witch slammed her head against the counter a few times. Hermione closed her eyes and groaned at the dull, throbbing pain that receded on her forehead. Every time she thought of a scenario or a route, they all ended up the same way that she was treating her head.

It was moments like this where she wished she had Ron with her to display his uncanny ability to formulate a strategy on the fly. Or rather, it would've been better if both Harry and Ron were here with her.

"No." The witch shook her head and collected herself out of the temporary period of depression. "This isn't the time to be feeling sorry for myself. I mean, I could only imagine the kind of trouble that they're going through."

Grateful that nobody had witnessed her brief showing of weakness, Hermione took a deep breath and unrolled a large scroll before placing it on the hard surface. Even though there were numerous things that were outside of her circle of influence, there were plenty of things she could control.

Hermione quickly began to scribble some notes down onto the paper.

"Let's see...the hideout location was supposed to be there, but because of this...yeah, but then...so if I do this...wait, is there anything that was given to me by McGonagall that I could use?"

The brown-haired female looked around the room to make sure that she was alone before taking out the small box. Opening it, she carefully rummaged through it before coming across a couple of items she figured would be useful.

"There's still the matter of the location...well, I think I can work something out with Malfoy." Blinking a few times, she placed a hand against her face and sighed. "The one time I want him, he's nowhere to be found. Ugh, I'll look for him later."

* * *

Draco let out a small grunt of pain when he felt the heavy green bag slam against his back. Rather than gripe and moan about going through with such menial labor, he figured that it would be much easier to get the task finished. Even with that being said, it would've been helpful if he had another person help him with this heavy load.

 **[What happened?]**

Still, all of this paled in comparison to what he had discovered inside of the food storage room. Normally, he would've been concerned with what he had found, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Perhaps it was the fact that this was merely a temporary resting pit and he was bound to leave. Plus, he assumed Goyle had to have some knowledge about the situation.

If he didn't?

"Too bad," the blonde muttered under his breath. A low grunt wheezed out from his lips when he felt the heavy green bag slam down across his back.

"Shit." The blonde winced, dropping the supplies onto the floor. He still didn't understand the reason why he was sent alone, especially with his injured arm. However, he had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. It was dully gnawing at the back of his mind, like a Thestral lazily enjoying its meal.

Was that what this was about? Death? Then again, didn't he face these circumstances on a daily basis? Even when he was inside the confines of this old, isolated manor, he was still struggling to keep his own life intact. This time around, if he wasn't careful with either his mouth or his feet, this would be his burial ground.

Would anyone be able to find him here? Would anyone even grieve for him? Would they even know he died here?

"I refuse," Draco muttered to himself, picking up the green bag. Just like he had vowed to himself, he would get through this self-inflicted contract and then survive the war – no matter what.

"No matter what..." the blonde confirmed out loud as he slowly began his ascent to the second floor.

* * *

"Malfoy, we have to talk." Hermione stared at Draco for a few seconds, small bubbles of anxiety rising up in her chest. While she had a semblance of an outline at hand, she hoped that having this conversation with the Malfoy heir would give her an actual plan.

'Never in a million years would I imagine putting myself in this kind of situation, and willingly at that. _'_

Hermione pointed to a nearby room that she knew would both be empty and away from distracting noise. Watching him close the door behind him, she saw the blonde drop a big, green bag onto the floor, lean against the wall, and cross his arms before asking, "What is it?"

'Then again,' the witch thought to herself. 'This isn't a normal situation now, is it?'

Shaking the previous thought from her head, Hermione cleared her throat before giving him her attention. "I may finally have an idea on how we can get out of here."

Draco's blank expression betrayed nothing, so she continued speaking.

"Well, like we discussed earlier, we have to somehow convince them that leaving this place would be ideal, right?"

No response.

"What if we offer them some sort of reward?" Hermione paused before shaking her head and clarifying her statement. "I mean...so, as you know, your job was to escort me safely to the hideout, right? If all of us showed up, and I explained the circumstances to them, then I'm sure that they'll be given some kind of reward."

"A reward you say?" Draco asked in a low voice.

Nodding in agreement, she continued by adding, "Yes, and I'm also sure that having Goyle back by your side would be an added bonus."

For a moment, Hermione thought that she had been able to convince him of her point of view and he would begrudgingly admit, at least in his own twisted way, that she was right. She also knew that hoping for such an outcome would be akin to having Ron and Harry actually care about their studies.

"Granger," Draco growled in a low voice before spitting on the floor. "You expect me to believe this contrived shite that you're trying to feed me? For Salazar's sake, do _you_ believe what you're saying?"

Ignoring both the accusatory tone of his voice and the question, she replied, "Look Malfoy, unlike You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters, our side is actually fair and willing to give people a second chance."

The two stared at each other in silence, neither willing to concede to the other. Only the sound of their sporadic heavy breathing and the creaking wooden boards filled the empty void. Hermione couldn't help but mentally scowl at the absurdity of the situation. Why was it that, even when she tried to offer an alternative type of solution or a compromise, she always had to be the one to make the first move?

For once, couldn't he understand the graveness of their situation? No, forget that, this went beyond their petty differences. The Magical world could be hanging in the balance, and the blonde was still acting like an incorrigible-

"Fine, Granger," Draco finally quipped, peeling himself away from the wall. Walking over to the brown-haired witch, he placed his uninjured arm onto her shoulder. "I'll go with your idea this one time. I'll convince Goyle to get us outside and to also join our group. But know this..."

Tightening his grip, he growled at her, "Whether he gets a reward or not, nothing better happen to Goyle, got it?"

Hermione's wits stumbled for a second, unable to comprehend the fact that he was actually following her suggestion. Well, it wasn't exactly what she had drawn up, but it was more than what she had expected. Plus, his condition wasn't anything too extreme, heck, she had to admire the fact that, considering these circumstances, Draco was still willing to protect his friend.

"Fine, Malfoy," Hermione echoed back, pushing his arm off of her body. "You have yourself a deal. I'll make sure that nothing happens to Goyle once we reach the hideout."

She saw Draco stare straight into her eyes before watching a part of his face twitch. For a moment, she thought that he would become aggressive and violent towards her. But her fears were quickly put to rest when he asked her what the plan was going to be.

"Well, when I looked through the box that McGonagall gave me, I found a few items of interest that we might be able to use...

* * *

"I can't believe how lucky I am," Goyle sighed while yawning. It didn't escape Draco's notice that his childhood friend seemed a lot more relaxed. He was slouching back into the chair while his feet were propped up on a stool. "It's always great that she lets me stay inside and-"

"Goyle!" The blonde scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Just shut up, will you? I'm already sick and tired of you babbling on about Lavender. You really think I want to hear you talk about all the times you shagged her?"

Patting his sides, Draco quickly slipped his hands into his pockets before muttering in a low voice, "I would kill for a smoke right now, where the hell are they?"

"B-but...you had no problem back at Hogwarts..." Goyle stammered out in a low voice. "What's the problem now?"

He didn't want to admit it, but it actually was a good question. Under normal circumstances, he would've had no problems with anyone sharing their sexual escapades. Hell, he might've even joined in on the fun and prodded the bastard for more information. But that was the main problem, wasn't it? This was the furthest from the normalcy that he, or anyone else, was used to. Yet, here his friend was, acting as though this was all part of life.

He didn't know why, but this absolutely disgusted him.

Draco swiped the stool from under his childhood friend's legs and angrily threw it at a wall. "The problem is that while I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere, you're busy fucking that witch's brains out!"

"So?"

A single word, one that was used to bridge a sentence or give more structure to a statement. However, if used within the right context and tone, it could elicit a profound reaction from the listener. Unfortunately for Goyle, he was the unwilling recipient of the effects. Draco couldn't help but snarl when he heard such a casual response come from Goyle's mouth.

"Fuck you!" All the frustration and anger that was pent up inside him was finally beginning to rear its ugly head. Draco stepped up to Goyle and wildly swung his arm, hoping to get a clean shot on his face. However, the result of his impulsive action took him by surprise.

"Let go of me!"

"Why? So you can try again?"

Draco was now beyond mortified at his current position. When he had thrown his fist at his childhood friend, he expected his knuckles to come into contact with a solid object – preferably Goyle's face. However, much like the narrative of his life, it hadn't gone his way – not even close.

Right before the moment of impact, Draco felt Goyle forcibly push his elbow and redirect his body's momentum. Being unable to control himself, the blonde clumsily stumbled to the side before feeling a fist getting shoved into his abdomen. Coughing a few times, he then shakily took a few steps before getting down on one knee. Before he was able to regain both his breath and his sense of equilibrium, Goyle had tackled him from behind.

That was where Draco currently found himself – pinned down onto the cold, hard floor.

This was it. He wouldn't stand for it anymore.

He had managed to endure everything that was thrown at him up to this point. The constant flashes of disappointment that he had to bear – from failing the Dark Lord that doomed his family to coming up short on what was expected of a pureblood wizard. The reminder of his own helplessness and humiliation came from the very witch that he also had to escort and protect – the Mudblood.

None of it mattered, not after the way his last bit of dignity was manhandled by an individual that used to accompany him. Yes, that was the right word, wasn't it? Crabbe and Goyle simply kept him company through their years together in Hogwarts. He knew that if it wasn't for the contract that their families had construed in the past, then neither of them would've stayed with him as long as they had.

Speaking of the contract...

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Draco managed to scream out before finding his face planted right back onto the wooden floor.

"O-one second." Goyle hastily took hold of Draco's left arm before pulling back the robe's sleeves. "Y-yeah, I knew it...it's still here."

"Argh! Bloody hell, Goyle!" Draco couldn't hold back the screams that came from the agonizing pain he felt from his injured arm. If there was one thing he didn't have to do, it was ponder the motive behind Goyle's action.

He didn't even have to ask what he was looking for, there was only one thing that existed on his inner left forearm – the Dark Mark. In the past, he would've shown it off as much as humanly possible, but now? He certainly couldn't say he was proud of obtaining it, since it merely demonstrated where his previous allegiance lay. But, at the same time, it was a reminder of his own abilities, and how he was even able to garner the attention of Lord Voldemort. Much so to the point where he was able to earn such a privileged insignia from the man himself!

But Goyle should've known that he had the Dark Mark on him, so what was the point of the search? Hell, both of them held it, so couldn't he have just asked from the start?

"Are you done being a complete and utter wanker? If you are, then get the hell off of me!"

Once Draco felt much of the heavy weight lifted from his body, he kicked the rest of his former roommate off from him. Grumbling to himself, the blonde slowly rose to his feet and staggered to a nearby wall. He took a few seconds to fully orient himself in a bid to regain a modicum of control.

It didn't help him at all.

In a matter of seconds, Goyle launched himself at Draco. Being caught unprepared for another 'attack', he was once again knocked back down to the ground. The two wrestled for a few minutes, with Draco realizing that he would be at the losing end once again. However, before going down, he noticed that Goyle was only using his right arm the entire time.

"What...?"

"S-sorry, but, as long as you have that thing on you, I'm not letting you leave this room ever again."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Draco barely managed to wheeze out, his voice breaking from the constricting pressure on his chest.

"Th-that mark," Goyle mumbled under his breath, "it's not...it's not safe with you here anymore."

The blonde couldn't help but emit a low groan before asking a simple one-word question, "Why?"

Gregory scratched his brown hair and scrunched his face into a frown. Or was he hungry? Draco wasn't entirely sure since his former roommate had the same emotional range as a Chimaera: anger and hunger.

"I-I guess it's fair for me to tell you some stuff, huh?"

Draco looked back at him with a flat-lined expression that screamed, 'No kidding?'

"Um...yeah, let me just, you know, think about it for a second."

* * *

"So, what did you wanna talk about?"

Hermione searched the entire room and desperately tried to place her eyes on anything besides the other witch. While she wasn't trying to be rude to Lavender, she felt uncomfortable at the sight of what she was wearing, or at least thereof. Yes, while her lower half was semi-covered by a thin, plain pink underwear, she had nothing covering her top. And she really wasn't interested in staring at a half-nude woman.

Before things snowballed out of control, she felt the small bracelet around her left wrist slide down to the inner part of her forearm.

'Right, I can't get distracted here, I have to make sure that we talk about the important topics today. No matter wha _t.'_ Hermione took a deep breath and replied, "Um, well...Draco and I've been talking, and-"

"Oh?" Lavender responded back with total indifference sounding in her voice. "Yes, yes, tell me all about it."

Hermione felt slightly incensed by the blonde witch's lackadaisical attitude but knew that there wasn't much she could do about it. However, if she didn't turn things around quickly enough, then the conversation would die before it even had a chance to get started.

"Yes, as I was saying..." Hermione attempted to re-steer the discussion towards her initial objective when she noticed something that caught her off-guard.

"Y-you smoke?"

The blonde-haired female, in her semi-naked state, had an unlit cigarette dangling at the corner of her mouth. Slouching into a very unlady-like posture, Lavender patted the sides of her hips before heaving a sigh.

"Granger?" Lavender almost purred with the cigarette still hanging on the edge of her lips. "Would you, like, be a dear and pass me something to light this with?"

"No!" Hermione crossed her arms and stomped her left foot. "There's so many things wrong with what you're doing! I mean, first of all, you're pregnant! Doesn't that mean anything to you? You do realize how bad smoking is, not only for you, but for the baby as well?"

"Oh please." Lavender waved off the other girl's concern. "It's none of your business if I, like, smoke or not. Now, would you please get me something that, like, you know, makes fire?"

"Then tell me." The brown-haired female gave her an inquisitive stare and tilted her head. "When did you pick up smoking? Because I don't ever remember you showing interest in these kinds of things back at Hogwarts." After a slight pause along with a furrowed brow, she added, "No, that wasn't the case even when you guys found us while we climbed up those stairs."

The half-nude girl snorted and once more nonchalantly waved her off. "I've always been smoking, alright? Anyways, I just chose to do it now, so, fire maker, please?"

"I don't know who you think you're trying to fool, but it seems like you've forgotten who you're talking to," Hermione flatly stated to the other witch.

By this time, irritation was clearly starting to show on Lavender's face. "Oh for Merlin's sake! Really? I'm so sorry! How could I, like, ever forget who I was talking to? The brightest witch of our generation, who is also known as Ms. Know-it-all, a teacher's pet, and all while being seen hanging around with two guys that are around her age. Is there anything else I should put there, oh mighty one?"

Hermione curled her hand into a fist and bit her lower lip. Were the snide remarks necessary? Did Lavender still take these things lightly? What was the point in airing such insulting titles? As much as she wanted to get into a verbal spar with the blonde, she was reminded of the greater picture at hand when she felt the bracelet roll on her left wrist.

'Focus Hermione, you need to stop getting side-tracked so easily and stick to the plan. Just remember that she doesn't mean anything by this, she doesn't mean anything by this.. _.'_

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "If you can just stop with the degrading comments for one second, then you might be able to recall that I'm also a Muggle-born."

"Oh right! You're a Mudbloo-"

 **Crack!**

Hermione had managed to stop Lavender from finishing the derogatory word by slapping her across the face. However, it was far too late, the offensive terminology had still rolled off the other witch's tongue.

"L-Listen, Granger," Lavender shakily said, holding a side of her face. "I-I didn't mean to, you know? It...it just-"

The aforementioned 'Mudblood' looked at the speaker with cold, uncaring eyes. It didn't have to be said, they both knew that anything that the pureblood blonde said would simply be white noise. The two stared at each other in awkward reticence, neither willing to engage the other. It was clear from the unsettling tension that the dynamic between them had shifted.

Not wanting to dwell in the same room with the bigot, Hermione shook her head and began to leave when she felt something grab the back of her robe.

"Look, Granger, I won't, like, make any excuses for what I said, but-" The half-nude witch licked her lips and rubbed the back of her neck. "Let me tell you something...interesting."

Even if she wanted to tell the girl to bugger off, the accessory on her left forearm urged her to stay – against her better judgement. Hermione let out a sigh before turning around and asked her in a curt tone, "What?"

"You were right the whole time, I only started to smoke these things after you guys came here."

"So then...?"

"Come on, Granger," Lavender answered in somewhat of a sardonic tone. "Stop playing dumb with me! I mean, like, you've pretty much been hinting at it the whole time, right? I mean, who do you _think_ made me interested in them, huh?"

"Malfoy?" Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Bingo! Got it in one try! Although it probably wasn't, like, too hard for you to guess, right?"

Hermione felt her heart rate pounding against her eardrum, her vision beginning to blur, and her pulse racing. She failed to conjure the appropriate words for what she was feeling, but worse, someone appeared to have cast _**Petrificus Totalus**_ on her brain.

Yes, she had noticed the signs but decided to give Draco the benefit of the doubt. It would've been easy for her to continuously hold such suspicions against her traveling partner, but for once, she wanted to allow him to prove her wrong. Just once! Was that so much to ask for? Would it be so difficult to expect people to defy the expectations that she had placed on them?

"When...?"

Giving her an amused smirk, Lavender stretched her right arm into the air while yawning and responded, "A witch gets bored with the same old horse, you know? So, when she sees a new stallion come, well, she can't help but take him for a ride."

So, it was just as she thought. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. She wanted to-

"Why do you care anyway?" the blonde witch asked in a faux concerned voice. "I thought you and Draco weren't-"

"I don't!" Hermione replied a little too quickly. She really didn't, but it was clear to both of them that neither believed the words that came out from her. Even with her lack of interest in pursuing her temporary traveling partner, the question still remained.

Why did she feel this way?

"Hey, so, it's fine, right? Hermione? Hermione?"

The brown-haired female smacked Lavender's hand away and muttered, "Go away."

"Well, alright," Lavender shrugged nonchalantly before adding, "Oh, by the way, have you seen my bracelet? I don't know when I lost it...I mean, like, I found the jewel but I can't find the band."

"I said to bugger off!" Hermione snapped at the other girl before placing both of her hands on her head. She spent the next few minutes staring at Lavender with cold, unrepentant eyes. It was only after the other witch left the room that she finally slumped down to the ground.

The Muggle-born witch sat with an ungraceful posture on the wooden floor. Pulling her knees towards her chest, she wrapped her arms around her legs. Noticing the flimsy bracelet on her left arm, Hermione angrily ripped it off and threw it across the room. She then took out the enchanted coin that the D.A. had used during Umbridge's reign and tightly gripped it in her left hand.

"Just trust McGonagall, everything'll be okay, just trust McGonagall..."

* * *

"There we go," Gregory said, wiping his hands off his trousers. "That should be fine, we can talk now."

Draco tested out the ropes that bound him down onto the chair. He was impressed not only by how sturdy their hold was, but how the entire process had been done with one hand. If it wasn't for the fact that he was the one subjected to the bondage, then he would've been heaping praise on the bastard. But that wouldn't be the case here now, would it?

"You know, Goyle, I have to say, despite the discomfort and the odd implications of the situation, I have to give you a bit of kudos for the work you did with the ropes." Pushing against the binding, the blonde shook his head. "How'd you get this good at something like this? Last I checked, the only thing you were good at handling was food."

"Ah..." Goyle's cheeks became slightly pink while he stammered, "B-b-babe wanted to...I-I mean, you know, Lav was into that stuff, so...I, uh- I sort of...learned?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Draco laughed. For the first time in a long while, he was able to simply rear his head back and allow the laughter to flow out from him. It definitely felt good.

"Oh Merlin, all the time and effort that those bloody tutors and teachers put into you when the only thing they had to do was find you a good shag for you to finally start learning, eh?"

"Sh-shut up!" Gregory looked away, blushing even harder.

"Yeah, I lost him." Draco looked at his former friend with a forlorn grimace. While he had a sinking feeling about the inevitable conclusion, he still held out a tiny bit of hope that he would be able to pry Goyle away from the witch's influence. It was too little, too late.

"Huh?"

The blonde shook his head. "Don't worry about it." Taking a deep breath, he finally relaxed into the chair. "Anyways, start talking."

Picking up an old stool, Goyle sloppily dragged it across the floor before placing it near Draco. He then promptly sat on it and stared intently at the Malfoy heir.

"H-how much do you know about...Y-You-Know-Who?"

Draco rolled his eyes at the question and began rattling off everything he knew about the one who was currently waging war with the wizarding world.

"N-no...I mean, the stuff that's been happening with his followers a-and the...Mark."

The last word was barely audible enough for his ears to pick up on it. A miniature frown graced the corner of the blonde's lips.

"Are you going to tell me, or do I have to waste time trying to guess?"

Gregory rubbed his hands together while quietly murmuring something to himself. A full moment of nothing passed, with only the occasional grunt from Goyle or the impatient, arrhythmical tapping of Draco's foot being heard.

"Th-the Mark...it changes you."

Draco couldn't help but stare at Goyle with a deadpanned expression. He went through all this trouble and had built up all this suspense just to inform him of something that he already knew? Well, nobody ever accused his former roommate of being clever. Unlike a certain bushy-haired know-it-all that he was traveling with. He shook his head and sighed, half in pity and half in contempt.

"What did you think was going to happen when you pledged yourself to the Dark Lord?" Small swellings of anger began to rise up to the surface, threatening to overwhelm his sensibility. "Don't tell me you forgot what happened last year at Hogwarts, you daft moron! Everything that I had to do was because of the mission that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gave for me to do!"

Spitting on the floor, he continued with a venomous, spiteful tone, "Even after seeing all of that, you still weren't sure what to expect? Are you mad? Have you gone completely mental?"

"I-it's not that...that's not what I meant."

By now, Draco's face was contorted with frustration and red with anger. "Then for Salazar's sake, would you get to the fuckin' point already?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Draco swore under his breath, dread beginning to fill the pit of his stomach. He had forgotten just how frustrating it was to hold any type of conversation with this idiot. It was about as bad as watching Longbottom attempting to be competent in Snape's Potions class. Neither of them would be very successful in their endeavor. While it would be very un-Slytherin-like for him to do this, he would have to be direct with Goyle, otherwise they would be stuck here for an eternity.

"Goyle!" the blonde barked out. "Are you going to tell me anything new? If not, then let me out of this chair already!"

"It's those monsters, the Evolved!" Gregory grabbed and shook Draco in fright. "They...they become those things!"

After recovering from the temporary bout of vertigo, Draco closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten. If he were able to make use of his arms, then he would've rubbed the bridge of his nose before whacking his former friend on the back of his head.

"So, let me get this straight." The blonde scrunched his face and continued, hoping his deduction was correct, "You saw those creatures that transformed into the Evolved, and it has something to do with those of us that have the Dark Mark, right?"

Gregory gave him a blank, hollow stare. This was going nowhere fast.

"Look, if you don't tell me why I'm stuck like this, then I'm going to have to-"

"It's people with the Dark Mark that change."

This time it was Draco's turn to tacitly contemplate the information that was given to him. If, by some chance, this wild claim was actually true and not some memory modifying charm induced by shock and panic, then the ramifications would be quite damning. However, there were a few things that contradicted this statement which cast a huge doubt in his mind.

"Are you sure? Perhaps it was some sort of curse? Maybe it was a spell gone horribly wrong?"

Goyle shook his head. "N-no! I saw this happen to a lot of people!"

Taking a slow, deliberate breath, the blonde asked, "How long?"

"U-um..."

"I need to know how long it took before they transformed, since-" Draco paused, closed his eyes, and continued, "I have one too."

"I don't know," Gregory reluctantly admitted, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Only thing I know is that they always look like they're in a lot of pain, like...they got hit with a _**Crucio,**_ before it happens. That's why, for everyone's safety, I'm gonna stay here with you."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You mean for her sake, right?"

Goyle shrugged nonchalantly and made a noncommittal grunt.

"Well, if you weren't such a dunderhead and thought this over for even one second, you would know that there are a few things that don't make any sense."

Gregory blinked a few times, tilted his head, and asked, "Uh...what?"

"First off, why didn't any of this happen before the war? Why now of all times? There were plenty of followers of You-Know-Who, even after he disappeared the first time."

Goyle stared at Draco with a dumbstruck expression. Or was it just him plainly looking dumb?

"Also, it doesn't make any sense for the Dark Lord to suddenly turn his loyal followers into mindless creatures in the middle of a bloody war! Especially those of us that haven't tainted the Wizarding race and kept the lineage pure!"

The two young men stared at each other, both of them lost in the torrent of their thoughts.

"S-sorry, but I still can't risk it," Gregory finally answered in a low, pitiful voice. "Now when, you know..." he trailed off, gesturing at Draco's left forearm.

"You just said you didn't know."

"Yeah, that's exactly why I can't let you go!" Goyle shouted, jumping out of the stool and onto his feet. "Because I don't know anything, it's better if I just keep you here until the time comes."

Draco's eyes shifted around the room, searching for something, anything, that would help him in his current predicament. While he did have a trick up his sleeve, using it in such a disadvantageous position would only result in it being wasted. No, he had to ensure that he wasn't in such a desperate situation.

Looking over at Goyle, an idea came to his mind.

"I just realized that all this time, we've only been talking about me, but what about you?"

"What about me?" Gregory asked.

"You also hold the Mark, right? Then if we go by what you told me, wouldn't you also be considered a danger? Shouldn't you, I don't know, be in the same position as me?"

Draco mentally patted himself on the back. He had managed to effectively corner his former friend, and with their past history together, he already knew how Goyle was going to respond. He would pace back and forth in the room and mutter to himself in an incoherent manner before freeing him from this prison-like condition.

"Fine," Gregory responded while nodding, "I'll let you go as long as you do this."

In one quick motion, Goyle took off his robe and uncovered his upper body, revealing the condition that he wanted Draco to copy.

"Y-you..." Draco was at a complete loss for words. His expectations of the outcome were completely subverted and any advantage that he momentarily held was also gone. For him to go this far, just what was Goyle's end game?

"You cut off your arm," the blonde stated in a matter-of-fact tone, trying his best to mask the shock he still felt from seeing a limbless stub. "Have you gone mental? You actually cut your bloody arm off?"

Goyle rubbed his left shoulder with his right arm and responded, "It was either that or become a risk to her, and I didn't wanna leave her. So, when I felt the tingling on my arm happen again, I decided that instead of waiting, I um...well, did this."

Draco bit his lower lip while he continued to stare at his former friend's radical life decision. If he was placed in the same situation, would he be able to do it? Suppose Goyle's theory was correct and anyone brandishing the Mark was susceptible to becoming this abomination. Was he willing to part with his left arm, or would he allow the transformation to consume him?

"I-I was right...I think," Gregory stated, putting his robe back on. "The tingling, it stopped, and I don't feel a strange pull on my magic anymore. But I feel like...it feels like I lost some of my magic. But it don't matter none now, all I care is what you choose. If you go with losing the arm, then I'll help you with it, and I'm warning you now, it's gonna be painful since...well, since we can't really use any magic here."

The plan that Granger had concocted for him to follow had not only been horribly disfigured to the point of it becoming a bastardized version of the original, but it had also come to a screeching halt in the form of Goyle's immovable stubbornness. Could this have been a problem? It could've had the potential to be a massive roadblock if it had been any other individual. But, due to certain unique circumstances surrounding their two families, he was afforded an ace up his sleeve. There would be serious drawbacks if he was to use it, but his mind was firmly made up after confirming Goyle's fundamental change in his mentality.

'Granger better be grateful for this, though knowing her, she'll probably raise a stink about this whole thing and try to feed me a load of bs that she doesn't understand. You know what? I'll spare myself the headache and take this to my grave. _'_

"Goyle...no, Gregory Goyle, I demand that you get me out of this chair and help me get off of this Merlin-forsaken island."

"You aren't in any position to say these things to me anymore," Goyle snorted. "Those days are gone now, everyone's moved on and doing different stuff."

Draco smirked and replied, "One word: Contract."

"No!" Gregory quickly blurted out. "Y-You...that's not possible! After the whole thing with Dumbledore, it should've been over!"

Draco swiveled his head sideways, loosening the tension from his neck. Now this was something he could use to his advantage. "The contract that our families agreed upon the day that you, me, and Crabbe were named heirs of our respected families still binds us all to this very day."

"But you told me that if me and Crabbe helped you with Dumbledore, then that would be the last thing we had to do!"

The blonde couldn't help but chuckle at Goyle's naïve answer.

"One of the earliest lessons that my father went over with me was what to expect once I became head of the Malfoy family." He shook his head and frowned before continuing, "I hated every second of it, but, looking back at it now, I'm grateful for it, since one of them was teaching everything that was written on that contract."

By now, if he didn't before, Draco knew that he had Goyle's undivided attention. It was time to reveal the rest of his hand.

"It seemed as though your family wanted to ensure the safety of their future lineage. So, wanting to create some kind of safety net, they had you and Crabbe become...well, basically my bitches."

Gregory stared back at him, his flat face twitching ever so slightly. The blonde merely raised an eyebrow, daring him to contradict his claim. This was why he had his doubts on the relationship between Lavender and Goyle. Who in their right mind would want to shack up with an average-level wizard like Goyle?

"I'm gonna skip all the boring parts and tell you that basically, as long as the binding magic within the contract continues to recognize me as the next head of the Malfoy family, it will always be in existence."

"You...you..."

Draco had a large grin plastered on his face. "Yeah, the barrister we hired was the same one that managed to use the _**Imperius**_ defense to get my father, your father, and the rest of the Death Eaters out of serving any time in Azkaban."

"But...you told me! You promised! We did the whole thing about trusting each other and being friends and all that other stuff!"

"And you actually believed me?" Draco said in a picture-perfect aristocratic drawl. "We're Slytherin, Goyle, I'm surprised you believed me in the first place."

"Damnit!" Gregory shouted, picking up the stool and throwing it against the wall. "Why can't you just leave me alone, huh? All I ever wanted to do was live here in peace with my girl! Is that so much to ask for?"

"Just help me and Granger get off this island and you'll never see me ever again."

"No, that's not good enough," Goyle responded, squinting his eyes at Draco. "As soon as we step out from the building, I want you to give me an oath, okay? One that's like, no, it has to be that you'll both release me from the contract and you won't come near me ever again, deal?"

Even though Draco saw this coming, it still hurt him to hear it. He would never admit it to anyone, but Crabbe and Goyle were the two closest people that he might've considered to be his friend. However, that would be another admittance that he would take to his grave.

'You daft bastard, why can't you fight a bit harder to keep our partnership intact _?'_ The blonde wizard bitterly thought and sighed. "Fine, I'll do it, I'll swear it upon my family's name, happy?"

Gregory placed his hands upon his hips and shook his head. Walking up to the blonde, he closed the gap between them and pressed his forehead against the other young man before snarling in a threatening manner, "I'm gonna hold onto your wand until then, but once we get out, I want you to do that oath, or I'll make sure to make you regret ever lying to me. Got it?!"

"Are you finished yet? Your breath smells," Draco replied back with an indifferent tone. "If you are, then hurry up and untie me."

Goyle stood back up and let out a sigh. "The only thing I have to follow is helping you get out of here, so I'll free you tomorrow. I can't trust you."

Draco scoffed, "You want me to sleep like this? Really?"

His former friend nodded. "If there's nothing else, then I'll see you when it's time to leave, alright?"

The Malfoy heir watched Goyle begin to walk away from him. Normally, he would've stubbornly stayed silent, kept tabs on those that offended him, then plotted vengeance upon them. However, he had already broken his own conventions earlier by agreeing to the stupid plan with the Mudblood. Sure, it would've been much easier for him to revert to arguing with her, but he allowed himself to be agreeable with the witch on his own accord, for once.

'Doing it again won't kill me, not like anyone will kno _w,'_ Draco grimly thought before shouting, "Goyle, hold on, I need to tell you something."

"I don't wanna hear anything more about that stupid contract!" Goyle yelled over his shoulder.

"It's actually about the food downstairs."

"What about it?"

"Tell me, what were you going to do about the shortage, hm?" Draco asked.

No answer.

"Let me tell you, Granger had this plan where she wanted to bring all of us to some meeting place. She basically wanted us to be with the group that's opposing the Dark Lord. Yeah, I know, it sounds like a load of bullocks if you ask me."

The blonde spat on the floor.

"So...you were...?"

"Just shut up and listen, it's probably the only thing you were ever good for."

"Lav said the same thing."

Draco ignored him and continued, "Once we get out, I'll distract her and give you the ration card that she's been carrying around with her."

Goyle cocked his head sideways and asked, "Why should I believe you? Why are you telling me this? What do you want?"

"For old time's sake," he answered back, tipping his head slightly upwards. "Not like it's going to do me any good keeping it a secret. Besides, I'd rather help a Slytherin over a Gryffindor any time."

Draco held his breath, watching Gregory mumble to himself for a few minutes before he opened his robe and rummage through it.

"Here, drink this," Goyle said in a barely audible voice. "It's a potion that should help you sleep and also help you recover your body."

"Ugh!" Draco winced, downing the contents from the vial. It was absolutely wretched and sickening, possibly one of the worst things he had tasted in his life.

"Alright." Gregory took a deep breath and slowly began walking out of the room. "I'll have to talk to Babe and tell her what the plan is. She'll probably get mad but...not like I really have much of a choice."


End file.
